Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place to ensure posts as supervisors for the State examinations are open to suitably qualified members of the public; if she will instruct the State Examinations Commission to drop the requirement that all supervisors must be teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45483/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. In the State examinations, the superintendent's responsibility includes safeguarding the security and integrity of the examination papers, providing any instructions to candidates deemed necessary, ensuring the compliance of students with examination rules, and documenting and reporting any breaches of rules.

Superintendents are drawn mainly from a pool of experienced teachers, and it is considered that experience of the school environment, familiarity with students' needs, and understanding of the examination system are essential skills needed for the task. Some 4600 examination superintendents are appointed each year by SEC following public advertisement. Priority is given first to recruitment of unemployed and substitute teachers, before drawing on the wider pool of applicants. In addition, an estimated 7500 superintendents are recruited directly by schools to act as superintendents in centres catering for students with special needs. These are recruited by schools directly as the schools are best placed to match the appointee with each candidate's specific needs.

The number of superintendents may vary from year to year, especially those appointed locally by the school, depending on candidate needs, accommodation available and subjects chosen. I am satisfied that, in the recruitment of staff, the SEC gives priority to the unemployed to the maximum extent possible commensurate with ensuring appropriate expertise and quality in the operation of the exam system.