Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 588: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in relation to the employment of teachers, he will clarify the reported position whereby job sharing will no longer be offered to teachers in schools that are above quota; his views on whether the savings to his Department's budget will be greater than the costs associated with social welfare payments arising out of this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17554/09]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 589: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there is additional cost to his Department in having a teaching post filled on a job sharing basis compared to filling the position on a full-time basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17555/09]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 590: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers currently employed on a job sharing basis who will not have their contracts renewed when posts no longer qualify for job sharing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17556/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 588 to 590, inclusive, together.

Applications for teachers who wish to job share are made to their employer who is normally the Board of Management of the School in which they work or the Vocational Educational Committee. The decision to approve job-sharing applications is a matter for the authorities of the employing school and there are no additional costs involved. As the applications for job sharing are dealt with by the school authorities the number of teachers involved is not readily available in my Department. In the case of schools that have over-quota teachers, vacancies do not arise as a result of teachers approved for job-sharing. This position is no different from that pertaining in previous years.

In these schools that have over-quota teachers, applications for job-sharing may be considered by the authorities of the schools concerned in the normal way. Because the school is over its allocation of teachers my Department will not give automatic replacements. It is, of course, open to the school authority to apply to my Department for additional teaching hours by way of curricular concessions to cover part or all of the hours in respect of an approved job-sharer teacher. Each such application is considered on its merits.