Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of DEIS secondary schools in the State that were not in a position to offer higher level maths and higher level Irish courses in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14741/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school is required to organise its subject options and, from September 2012 the provision of guidance, from within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. My Department provides some short-term support through the annual curricular concessions process for those schools that have particular short-term difficulties managing their subject provision. As part of the budgetary decisions the Department sheltered DEIS post-primary schools by reducing the pupil teacher ratio to 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. Matters in relation to the deployment of teaching staff and the range of subjects offered are dealt with at local school level rather than centrally by my Department. My Department does not therefore have the specific information readily available that is sought by the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review a matter in respect of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14754/12]

Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is no dedicated resource teacher allocated, located, and based in one of the three Dublin 15 DEIS band 1 schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14787/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 39 together.

The staffing arrangements for the 2012/13 school year are set out in Primary Circular 0007/2012, which is available on my Department's website. This includes the detail of the reform of the allocation process which is designed to bring a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools. The new arrangements incorporate a long overdue updating of the GAM (learning support) allocation for all schools. This inevitably involves changes to existing clustering arrangements whereby a teacher is shared between schools. A further change is that schools in any locality are being empowered to cluster and arrange their GAM resources in a manner that best suits their local needs. This should be completed by schools by 16 March.

As part of the reforms to the teacher allocation process existing posts are being used to put in place a network of over 2,500 full-time resource posts in close to 1,700 base schools throughout the country. These posts will be allocated on a permanent basis and the teachers in them will undertake NCSE approved (low incidence) resource hours in the base schools or in neighbouring schools. This approach builds on the interim arrangements that operated in 2011 but in a more structured and transparent manner.

While individual schools may have their own particular preferences the Department has to look at it from a national perspective. The overall objective with these reforms is to enable the teacher allocation and redeployment process to operate more smoothly and efficiently within the new climate of fixed ceilings on teaching posts. The changes are designed to give a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools, give earlier certainty to schools about their staffing allocations and, where possible, simplify and streamline existing processes and give greater autonomy to schools.

It also has to be borne in mind that the previous clustering arrangements included inherent inefficiencies whereby schools could retain full-time posts on less than 25 hours (some on as low as 19 hours). The new GAM arrangements operate in 5-hour blocks to facilitate, as appropriate, the day to day operation of GAM support between schools and also ensure that full-time GAM posts are fully utilised (25 hours in each post). The Department will also be requiring any surplus capacity in full-time resource posts to be fully utilised before it approves part-time resource posts for neighbouring schools. My Department will be working with schools and the relevant education partners to ensure that the new arrangements operate as efficiently as possible. As the process proceeds this work can take account of any appropriate local arrangements that might be made to further optimise travel arrangements.