Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the teacher supply panel; if the system has been evaluated and confirmed as good value for money and satisfactory from an educational point of view; if the system is under consideration; the reason for same; if the substitution changes in 2009 have affected the system; if the solution to a perceived problem would be to extend the geographic area covered or to include other schools in the area, not already included. [48212/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The supply teacher scheme was initially set up at primary level over 15 years ago at a time when schools had difficulty getting substitute teachers. The supply scheme operates on the basis of an additional full-time teacher being allocated to a school to cover certified sick leave absences in that school and a cluster of neighbouring schools. If the teacher is not required on a given day to cover sick leave absences they generally assist with other work in their school such as administrative duties. There are 60 posts allocated to the scheme.

A value for money review was published in July 2006. The review found that approximately 60% of these teachers' time was used to cover sick leave absences with the balance on various other school duties. This reflects the unpredictable nature of sick leave absences. While there are benefits for schools in having these full-time teachers it is considered more cost effective to use the normal substitution arrangements that apply to all other schools to cover sick leave absences instead of having a cohort of full-time teachers "on call" all the time in these schools to cover sick leave absences that may or may not arise. The supply teacher scheme will cease from the start of the 2010/11 school year. The teachers concerned will be redeployed in accordance with the existing redeployment arrangements to other schools that have vacancies.