Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline in detail where the 428 posts which were allocated to schools under legacy programmes prior to the roll-out of the DEIS initiative in 2005 which are due to be phased out are based. [39532/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Given the scale of our economic crisis, adjustments have had to be made across all areas of the public sector. Despite this challenge, the Government has sought to do this in as fair a way as possible.

We have protected the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, prioritised targeted support for the most disadvantaged schools and maintained the overall number of resource teachers and SNAs to support children with special needs.

While DEIS schools are not immune to budgetary measures, a key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target funding at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage.

The new staffing schedule for DEIS Band 1 primary schools, which now gives greater autonomy to schools, will operate on a general average of 1 teacher for every 22 pupils. This simplifies the existing system whereby schools are given a "top-up" allocation to support lower class sizes of 20:1 in junior classes and 24:1 in senior classes. DEIS post-primary schools will be targeted for additional support through an improved staffing schedule of 18.25:1, which is a 0.75 point improvement compared to the existing standard 19:1 that applies in post-primary schools that do not charge fees (or compared to the 21:1 ratio that will apply in fee-charging schools).

In order to ensure fairness in the distribution of resources available under the DEIS plan, it is no longer possible to allow some schools to retain legacy posts on a concessionary basis that predate the introduction of DEIS. A range of measures has been announced to withdraw supports (428 posts) from earlier disadvantage programmes/schemes in 270 primary schools and 163 post primary schools, both DEIS and Non-DEIS that exceed what equivalent schools are entitled to under DEIS or to which non-DEIS schools are not entitled. These measures will take effect from the 2012/13 school year. The breakdown of these legacy posts are: - 38 concessionary teaching posts will be withdrawn from 15 non-DEIS primary schools previously in Giving Children an Even Break Programme and who retained a reduced PTR of 20:1 in junior classes and 27:1 in senior classes.- 102 concessionary posts will be withdrawn from 52 Urban Band 2 DEIS schools previously in the Giving Children an Even Break Programme and who had a reduced PTR of 20:1 in junior classes and 27:1 in senior classes.- 43 Support Teacher Posts will be withdrawn from 48 primary schools (45 DEIS and 3 Non DEIS)- 45 concessionary posts will be withdrawn from 32 DEIS Schools previously in the Breaking the Cycle Programme and who had a reduced PTR of 15:1 at the junior classes- 64 concessionary posts in 59 primary schools and 136 posts in 163 post-primary schools will be withdrawn from DEIS schools previously in the Disadvantaged Area Scheme.

Some alleviation measures will be available for those schools considered to be most acutely affected by these changes. Schools will be notified in January 2012 of their staffing entitlements under the new arrangement for 2012/13, including any alleviation measures that may apply. The Government's protection of schools serving disadvantaged areas is further underlined by the maintenance of €13 million in enhanced funding for DEIS schools, €2 million in school book funding for DEIS schools, as well as a €26 million investment in the Home School Community Liaison scheme. All of these areas have been protected from reductions in expenditure for 2012.