Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will reverse the decision to abolish two full-time teaching posts and to suppress posts of responsibility at a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20374/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I have consistently said that the 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. The various impacts at school level were included in the Budget day announcements and in view of the ominous financial circumstances that we are facing I am not in a position to reverse any of the decisions taken.

Teacher allocations to all second-level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the Board of Management of the school.

In accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e. curricular concessions. This concession is available as a short term support to enable essential curricular provision to continue. An application for curricular concessions was received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy. The school has been notified of the outcome.

The allocation processes also include appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against their allocation of teachers. It is open to the school in question to submit an appeal to an independent Appeal Board which was established specifically to adjudicate on appeals on staffing allocations in post-primary schools. The school in question has appealed the decision to the independent Appeal Board. The school will be notified of the outcome in due course. This Board operates independently of my Department. Discrete allocations are also made to schools to cater for pupils with Special Educational Needs and those with Language difficulties for example.

Following the Government decision on the moratorium on promotions in the Public Service my Department issued a circular to all schools indicating that with effect from 27 March, 2009 schools may no longer make any appointment to a post of responsibility including those that may have fallen vacant on or before 27 March, 2009. This Circular 0022/2009 is available on my Department's website.

It is a matter for the school authority to re-organise and prioritise the appropriate duties for post of responsibility holders in the context of implementing this moratorium. Under the revised arrangements schools may continue to fill posts of Principal and Deputy Principal. The Government decision provides for an exception in respect of the first allocation of posts of responsibility in new schools.

Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will explain the circumstances which led to the loss of a teacher at a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20375/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to providing information in relation to the allocation of teachers to schools and as a new feature on my Department's website. The process has begun with the provision earlier this year of initial information on the allocation of mainstream classroom teachers to primary schools under the revised schedule for 2009/10.

In terms of the position at individual primary 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.

Within the terms of the staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. Under these arrangements, a developing school post may be sanctioned provisionally where the projected enrolment at 30th September of the school year in question equals or exceeds a specified figure. If the specified figure is not achieved on 30th September, sanction for the post is withdrawn.

I understand that the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy has indicated to the Primary Allocations Section of my Department its intention to submit an application on developing school grounds. Based on the information supplied to date it is expected that the school will retain the post referred to by the Deputy.