Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools which will lose teaching posts due to changes to the staffing schedule in Budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19396/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on my Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The relevant appointment and retention figures for mainstream staffing for the coming school year have been published on the Department's website. However, the staffing arrangements in schools for the 2012/2013 school year can also be affected by changes in their enrolment, the impact of other budget measures and the reforms to the teacher allocation process. The reform of the allocation process is designed to bring a more equitable distribution of existing posts between schools so there will inevitably be some schools that will lose posts and some schools that will gain posts.

The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the criteria for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0007/2012. The closing date for submission of appeals for the April meeting of the Staffing Appeals Board was 23 March, 2012. The first meeting of the Appeals Board takes place this week and the Boards of Management of the applicant schools will be notified as soon as possible of the outcome of their appeal. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. The final staffing position for all primary schools will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed for mainstream classroom teachers and any appeals to the Staffing Appeal Board will have been considered.