Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers currently employed within primary and post primary schools in north Tipperary; if there will be an increase or decrease in teachers employed starting in September 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23883/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department publishes extensive statistical information on its website in relation to schools. This includes information relating to teacher allocations at primary and post-primary level published for the 2009/10 school year. The Deputy will be aware that teacher allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at 30 September. The final position for the 2010/11 school year for any one school will depend on a number of other factors such as the allocation of support teachers, additional posts for schools that are developing rapidly and posts allocated as a result of the appeals processes. The final number of additional teachers for the coming school year will not be known until the allocation process is fully completed around November 2010.

Pupil numbers at both primary and post-primary level continue to increase and this results in an increased requirement for additional teachers for the foreseeable future. The renewed Programme for Government contains a commitment to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government and also the provision of 500 additional teaching posts between primary and second levels over a three year period. The first tranches of these additional posts have been allocated to schools following consultations with the education partners.