Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria issued to boards of management in relation to the filling of temporary teaching posts in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8212/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to Circular 19/2011 which commences the redeployment process for surplus permanent teachers at primary level. This circular, which is available on my Department's website, sets out the detailed arrangements for the operation of the redeployment process. The process of allocating teaching resources to schools for 2011/2012 and the arrangements for filling vacant or new teaching posts, including temporary posts, takes place in the context of the EU/IMF Programme of Support for Ireland and the Public Service Agreement 2010/2014.

It is necessary for my Department to exercise additional control and reporting measures this year to ensure that the numbers of teachers employed in schools is consistent with the EU/IMF Programme of Support for Ireland. This requires that all permanent and fixed term positions are in the first instance made available to those surplus teachers with either permanent contracts or contracts of indefinite duration. It is the intention of the Department to restore recruitment from fixed-term teachers on the main panels, supplementary panels or public advertisement at the earliest possible opportunity, after all the surplus permanent teachers have been redeployed.