Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 406: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will assess a request from a school (details supplied) in County Limerick to enable them to retain a DEIS teaching post which is due to be suppressed. [18002/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department at individual school level for any school year is the pupil enrolment at the previous 30 September. The enrolment is applied to a staffing schedule which issues annually from my Department.

According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to, the school's enrolment on 30th September 2009 was 62 pupils. In accordance with the 2010/2011 staffing schedule (Circular 0021/2010), which is available on my Department's website, the mainstream staffing in the school for the coming school year will be Principal and 2 mainstream class teachers.

The school in question is a Junior School and is included in Band 1 of the urban strand of the School Support Programme (SSP) under DEIS for staffing purposes for which the class size guidelines are 20:1 in junior classes (junior infants through to second class). The staffing allocation under DEIS is a top-up allocation based on the number of pupils enrolled for whom no additional supports have already been granted i.e. Traveller pupils. The enrolment of this school for consideration under the DEIS top-up allocation is 57 pupils and does not warrant the retention of the DEIS teaching post for the 2010/2011 school year.

Having regard to the number of pupils enrolled at the school, I am satisfied that the level of teaching resources provided represents an adequate response for a Primary DEIS Band 1 junior school.