Written answers

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Department of Education and Science

School Staffing

9:00 pm

Photo of Seán ConnickSeán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Wexford has an enrolment which would allow it to keep 15 teachers for the 2009/2010 school year, even though they did not have this level of enrolment on 30 September 2008; if he will allow this school to retain its 15th teacher in a concessionary position for the 2009/2010 school year in view of its increased enrolment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16899/09]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will address the situation whereby a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon will lose a teacher from 1 September 2009; if his attention has been drawn to the impact that this will have on the class sizes and on the education of the pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16909/09]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 234 together.

The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes.

In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2008. The annual process of seeking this enrolment data from schools took place in the autumn and the data has since been received and processed in my Department enabling the commencement of the processes by which teaching resources are allocated to schools for the school year that begins next September.

My Department has written to the primary schools that are projected to have a net loss or gain in classroom teaching posts in September, 2009. As part of my efforts to ensure that relevant information is openly available to the public detailed information on the opening position for primary schools is now published on my Department's website. This provisional list sets out the details on individual schools that, taken collectively, are projected to gain 128 posts and to lose 382 posts — a net reduction of 254 posts. It is my intention to have this information updated and ultimately to set out the final position when the allocation processes are completed.

The above allocations are provisional at this stage and reflect the initial allocation position. The final position for any one school will depend on a number of other factors such as additional posts for schools that are developing rapidly and posts allocated as a result of the appeals processes. The operation of redeployment arrangements also impacts on the final position as a teacher can remain in his or her existing school where a suitable redeployment position does not exist. The final staffing position for all schools will therefore not be known until the autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed for mainstream classroom teachers and appeals to the Staffing Appeals Board will have been considered.

Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0002/2009, available on my Department's website. The application form for appeal is also available on my Department's website. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

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