Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the leadership, management or other training that is available to primary and post-primary school principals to help them transition to senior leadership positions; the percentage of school principals that have undertaken each type of training available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13810/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The leadership and planning strand of the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) provides professional development opportunities for aspiring, new and established school leaders in a range of programmes and activities. There are over 4,000 schools between the primary and post-primary sectors. In the current school year, the PDST is providing leadership development programmes for 1,158 school leaders or aspiring leaders. I will set out the breakdown between the programmes.

Some 553 newly appointed school leaders participated on the induction programmes (Misneach and Tánaiste). Some 414 established school leaders availed of the Forbairt and Spreagadh programmes. Some 123 aspiring leaders are participating in the Tóraíocht programme. Some 68 principals have trained as mentors to newly appointed principals. Tóraíocht is a programme for aspiring principals which is offered in partnership between PDST and NUI Maynooth. It aims to enhance participants' current work and support their preparation for future senior leadership positions.

The Misneach programme is a professional development programme for newly appointed school leaders. The programme seeks to help new leaders to meet the challenges of their new roles by developing their personal and professional capacities. The programme consists of four modules - Leading Learning, Leading People, Leading the Organisation and Personal Development. Tánaiste is an induction programme for newly appointed Deputy Principals or Acting Deputy Principals. The programme aims to develop the skills necessary for Deputy Principals to approach their role with confidence and to work effectively with the Principal and other school leaders to ensure high quality teaching and learning in the school. Some 1,642 places were provided in the previous year. The year on year reduction reflects an adjustment in the capacity and resources available to the PDST.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the assistance available to primary and post-primary school principals who are identified as needing or request additional support for their own performance, for example, mentoring, leadership training, networking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13812/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Professional Development Service for Teachers offers a suite of professional development opportunities to school leaders including programmes for aspiring, new, and established principals and deputy principals. All of these services are provided to school leaders who request them. In relation to school principals who are identified as needing additional support, as outlined in sections 22 and 23 of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management, as employer, has overall responsibility for the management of the school, including the guidance and direction of staff and the creation of an environment which is supportive of learning among the students and which promotes the professional development of teachers.

Section 24(3) of the Act provides for the suspension and dismissal of teachers by boards of management. In 2009, agreed procedures for the operation of Section 24(3) were published. As part of these procedures, inter alia, principals can avail of support from the support services under the remit of my Department. In this context, the Chairperson will advise the Principal of available internal and/or external supports and endeavour to assist the Principal in accessing supports. These may include the Employee Assistance Service, the teacher support services or other external agencies that are relevant or appropriate in the circumstances.

Reasonable and appropriate support, training and assistance will be provided. Therefore, a focus of the work of the teacher support services is the provision of appropriate advice and assistance to school management and principals in the formulation of improvement plans and, where relevant, in their implementation. The Professional Development Service for Teachers has developed draft protocols for its work in supporting principals and teachers involved in Section 24 procedures and have trained team members in responding to specific cases. The service has access to full-time and part-time facilitators who can respond to the needs of principals in leading such cases or indeed to support principals or teachers who are subject to procedures under Section 24. The PDST also includes some more general guidance workshops for principals on its leadership programmes and in some other wider seminars involving school leaders' representative bodies, as well as individualised supports to school leaders who request them due to specific challenges that arise in their leadership of schools.