Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the loss of 75 teachers in small schools in 2013 will result in the closure of any of these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55876/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The staffing arrangements in small primary schools are considerably more favourable than other medium to larger schools. The measure that was announced in Budget 2012 is focused on dealing with this cost premium, on a phased basis, through progressively increasing the pupil thresholds for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools. This budget measure relates to the number of teachers allocated to small primary schools. I want to make clear that the budget measure does not require any of these schools to close. In these current difficult budgetary times all public servants are being asked to do more with less and teachers in small schools cannot be exempt from this requirement.