Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 22: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount that will be saved by the abolition of the supply panel of teachers in Budget 2010; if the equivalent amount of substitution cover will cost approximately the same amount of money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4165/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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. It is expected that this measure will save €400,000 in 2010 and €1.1 million in a full year. 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.