Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 539: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will reverse the decision to cut teacher numbers at a school (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the impact that this will have on disadvantaged pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25217/09]

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.

These decisions included the withdrawal of teaching posts which have been historically provided under previous disadvantage schemes to non-DEIS schools and the increasing of the pupil teacher ratio across all second-level schools from 18:1 to 19:1. In the case of fee-charging post-primary schools, there is an additional one-point adjustment to 20:1.

Teacher allocations to VEC schemes are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each VEC 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 VEC's.

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.

An application for curricular concessions was received from Roscommon VEC and the VEC was allocated an additional four whole-time equivalent teacher posts for the 2009/10 school year. This concession is available as a short term support to enable essential curricular provision to continue. This was in addition to a disadvantaged post that was re-allocated to the VEC Scheme by the Social Inclusion Unit of my Department.

An independent appeals mechanism is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their teacher allocation. The Independent Appeals Committee are currently assessing the appeal lodged by Roscommon VEC and a decision will be forwarded to the VEC shortly. As the Appeals Committee operates independently of my Department in taking its decisions, you will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to intervene in any such decision.

Discrete allocations are also made to VEC schools to cater for pupils with Special Educational Needs and those with Language difficulties for example.

The main focus of Social Inclusion measures is to retain resources in DEIS schools. There is a need to focus targeted resources on the schools in most need and this approach is in line with the broad thrust of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General which are set out in his report on Primary Disadvantage of 2006, which recommended that my Department should focus its educational disadvantage measures on those schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.