Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the final number of posts lost in 2012 through the raising of the pupil threshold requirements for small schools; if he will list the schools that have lost teachers through this measure; the amount he expects this measure to save in monetary terms by the end of 2012; the projected savings and projected axed number of posts for 2013, 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43006/12]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he can ameliorate the negative impact of the budgetary problems on smaller rural schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43378/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 274 together.

The target savings from this budget measure is 250 posts over the 3 year period. Some 73 small primary schools were originally due to lose a classroom teacher in September 2012 as a result of the budget measure to increase the relevant pupil thresholds. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board considered appeals from any of the 73 schools that could show that their projected enrolments for September 2012 were sufficient to allow them retain their classroom teacher over the longer term.

Some 38 small schools had their appeals provisionally upheld by the Appeals Board subject to confirmation that their actual enrolments in September 2012 reach the required level. My officials are currently liaising with these schools to ascertain actual enrolments at 30 September. When this process is completed the overall position for the 2012/13 school year will be known. In these extremely challenging times, all public servants are being asked to deliver our public services on a reduced level of resources and teachers in small schools cannot be immune from this requirement.