Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 125: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of posts of responsibility that have not been filled in second level schools as a result of the moratorium; the number of posts of responsibility that were filled in second level schools as a result of circular 0042/2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38143/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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When the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. Vacancies at Assistant Principal and Special Duties level arise due to retirements in these specific grades and typically also from the knock on effect of filling Principal and Deputy Principal posts. What the school loses is the capacity to make a promotion by awarding the extra pay allowance to another teacher. The position whereby just over 50% of all teachers have promotion allowances is simply not sustainable.

Retirements at post primary level since the introduction of the moratorium in March 2009 were approximately 157 Principals, 128 Deputy Principals, 1144 Assistant Principals and 290 teachers with special duties posts of responsibility. This is based on Department held data with a pro-rata adjustment to include VEC schools.

The alleviation arrangements set out in the published Department Circular 42/2010 provides some delegated sanction for post-primary schools to fill Assistant Principal vacancies if they fall below certain minimum thresholds. At this stage, the Department has been notified in respect of the filling of 39 Assistant Principal posts. Applications for alleviation in respect of 44 Programme Co-ordinator posts and 12 Director of Adult Education posts have resulted in 25 of these posts being filled.