Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that the present figure of 27.11 teachers at a DEIS band 1 school (details supplied) will remain in place. [14722/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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While difficult choices had to be made to identify savings across my Department's budget, the Government has tried to protect front line services in 2012. The Government has 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. Budget 2012 provided that all 195 second-level schools in DEIS will be given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools. The Deputy will be aware however that I have already indicated to the House that the proposed withdrawal of DEIS posts from DEIS second level schools will proceed.

At post primary level and in accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e., curricular concessions.

The allocation processes also include an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeals criteria have been extended to enable some limited phasing arrangements for schools where the combination of budget and reform measures impact on a particularly adverse manner on a school's overall allocation. Details of the appeal process are set out Circular 0009/2012 which is available on my Department's website. The Appeal Board operate independently of the Department and its decisions are final. The final staffing position for all schools will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed and any appeals to the Staffing Appeal Boards will have been considered.