Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the development of a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if his attention has been drawn to the growth of this all Irish secondary school; if his further attention has been drawn to the costs involved to the promoters of the school in having to pay teachers their own resources; the assistance he will give to this school during 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26928/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers is operating with provisional recognition from my Department. It is entitled to grant aid for rental for its accommodation, for school transport and for the payment of teacher salaries.

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 each 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 the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The Principal of a school can submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established specifically to adjudicate on appeals on staffing allocations in post-primary schools. This Board operates independently of my Department. The school in question did not submit an appeal.

Discrete allocations are also made to second-level schools to cater for example for pupils with Special Educational Needs and those with language difficulties.