Written answers

Thursday, 19 April 2012

Department of Education and Skills

School Staffing

9:00 pm

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that legacy posts at DEIS schools are protected for the upcoming school year 2012/2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19377/12]

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has reviewed the allocation of staff posts to three DEIS schools (details supplied) in the Dublin 17 area; if he will ensure that all three schools retain their current teaching component for the new school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19378/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 64 together.

A new dedicated staffing schedule will apply to DEIS Band 1 schools from September 2012, ensuring that these schools operate their entitlement to more favourable pupil teacher ratios of 20:1 in junior schools, 22:1 in vertical schools and 24:1 in senior schools under DEIS.

In addition, 140 Band 1 and Band 2 schools will retain the more favourable pupil teacher ratios under previous disadvantage schemes for the 2012/13 school year. In March, letters issued to all DEIS Band 1 and 2 schools informing them of their staffing allocation for the 2012/13 school year.

A range of factors contribute to determining the staffing requirement for schools for 2012/13 including changes to enrolment and the reforms to the teacher allocation process. As the teaching allocation to schools is enrolment based, increasing or decreasing enrolment will determine whether schools gain or lose teaching posts from year to year.

I wish to clarify that changes in enrolment also contribute to the number of legacy posts allocated to DEIS schools from year to year. Some DEIS schools concerned seem to be under the impression that my decision of 21st February 2012 implied that they would retain their current number of legacy posts which is based on 30th September 2010 enrolment, whereas, the staffing allocation for 2012/13 school year, including the allocation of legacy posts is based on enrolment of 30th September 2011.

The allocation process also include an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeal procedures are set out in primary circular 0007/12 .

For the coming school year the existing staffing appeals criteria have been extended to enable some limited phasing arrangements for schools where the combination of budget and reform measures impact in a particularly adverse manner on a school's overall allocation. The closing date for submission of appeal was 23 March, 2012. The Staffing Appeal Board which operates independent of my Department met on 18th April and will notify schools directly. The final staffing position for all schools at primary level 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.

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