Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 1094: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide an assurance that schools competitions across different sports will not be adversely affected due to non-replacement of school teachers who traditionally accompanied school teams pending the implementation of some or all of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programme recommendations. [32940/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The substitution cover arrangements introduced in January 2009 will continue for the 2009/2010 school year. Each post-primary school has been provided with a defined number of hours of substitution cover outside of the supervision and substitution scheme to provide cover for teacher absences arising from uncertified sick leave and official school business. This was calculated on the basis of the number of pupils in a school with a minimum number of available hours for all schools with less than 100 pupils. Thus for the 2009/2010 school year 0.31 hours substitution cover was allocated for each pupil in a school as per the school's recognised pupil enrolment on the 30th September 2008. Examples are an allocation of 62 hours for a 200 pupil school and 124 hours for a 400 pupil school.

It is a matter for the managerial authority of each school to decide on the use of the hours provided. The supervision/ substitution scheme also continues to operate and teachers who undertake the duties in accordance with the terms of the scheme continue to receive the annual payment.