Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the redeployment of primary school teachers to gaelscoileanna, even if their standard of Irish may not be adequate to teach in an Irish speaking school. [19167/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Traditionally redeployment at primary level has operated within schools of the same patronage. The Croke Park Agreement provides for the continued employment of surplus teachers through redeployment. This process in nearing completion, with very limited movement of teachers between schools of different patronage. I appreciate the goodwill that applied in making this happen and recognise that this could only have been achieved through collaborative work between patrons, management bodies and my Department.

While I appreciate the desire of school patrons to select and recruit their own teachers, this must be balanced with the need to ensure that the redeployment process works. Flexible redeployment arrangements are required in order to ensure all surplus permanent teachers are redeployed into vacancies. Quite simply, the country cannot afford to have surplus teachers in a school while permitting recruitment to take place in another school.

I want to assure the Deputy that it is not a question of forcing teachers into jobs, it is one of ensuring that surplus teachers who would otherwise have to be made redundant have first call on vacant posts.

My Department will have further discussions with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the redeployment arrangements are fit for purpose in the years ahead. I can say to the Deputy that as a general principle we will be endeavouring to bring about a situation where teachers are happy with the schools to which they are assigned and that schools are happy to receive the teachers.