Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a situation of a post primary school (details supplied) in which an assistant principal has been appointed as per Circular 53/2011 but cannot take up their position as a result of his Department's decision to freeze payment allowances pending a review of all new appointments to this grade; the advice he will offer to this school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46960/12]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason no new assistant principal post are being filled in post primary schools despite the contents of Circular 0003/2012 which outlined that such allowances would not be paid until the review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was complete; the reason following publication of the said review on 18 September the position remains the same despite assurances given in Circular 0003/2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46961/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.

When the moratorium was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is therefore limited to the Director of Adult Education, Assistant Principal and Special Duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. Vacancies at this level arise due to retirements in the specific grades and typically also from the knock on effect of filling Principal and Deputy Principal posts.

Interim alleviation measures were announced in August 2012 for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. School Management bodies were notified of these arrangements at the beginning of the current school year. Applications for alleviation have been received from 127 post primary schools. These applications have been processed and schools have been notified of the outcome in the recent weeks. Following the review of allowances by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department is currently in the process of contacting schools (including the school referred to by the Deputy) that had sought approval to fill vacant assistant principal posts last January and were subsequently unable to complete the appointment process pending the outcome of the review.