Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her plans, if any, to ensure that an improved pupil-teacher ratio is achieved with particular reference to schools or areas throughout the country which have been identified as being in need of attention in this regard; the number of schools currently registering or likely to register a higher pupil-teacher ratio than in previous years; the location of such schools; when she expects to address the issues arising; the extent to which she has received correspondence or representations from school authorities in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33647/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level for the current school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2009.

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 Deputy will be aware that the renewed Programme for Government commits the Government to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government. The renewed Programme for Government also provides for 500 teaching posts to schools over the next three years over and above additional posts that will arise due to demographic increases. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools who are dissatisfied with their staffing allocation. The appeals criteria are outlined in the published staffing schedule which is available on my Department's website.

The final staffing position for all schools will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed for mainstream classroom teachers and any appeals to the Staffing Appeals Boards will have been considered. The appellate process is particularly relevant at post-primary level where any specific curricular needs of the school concerned are considered.

Extensive statistical information is available on my Department's website in relation to class sizes and pupil-teacher ratios. It is early to speculate at this stage on the pupil-teacher ratio trend for the 2010-2011 school year. However I would not expect it to be significantly different from recent years because, notwithstanding the general moratorium on public sector recruitment, the Government has agreed to allow schools to increase their teacher numbers to cater for demographic growth.

It is also important to note that from an educational perspective numerous influential reports have highlighted the fact that teacher quality is the single most important factor — far and above anything else — in improving educational outcomes for children.