Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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402. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason teaching hours have been reduced in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32288/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing arrangements at post primary level for the 2013/14 school year have been published and are available on the Department website. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.

Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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403. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the turnover of substitute teachers in primary and secondary level schools are monitored by his Department with respect to each school; the rate of which the number of substitute teachers has increased or decreased since the embargo on recruitment; if there has been analysis carried out by his Department on the impact that this may have on the quality of lessons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32010/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The employment of substitute teachers is a matter for the managerial authority of each individual primary and second level school. It is outlined in my Department circulars that the managerial authorities of schools should only employ qualified teachers including substitutes to cover all absences and vacancies in their schools. All teachers, including substitute teachers, are subject to inspection. In line with the annual inspection programme, inspectors engage with all categories of teacher to evaluate teaching and learning, to provide feedback on improvement and to report on quality and standards in schools. Substitute teachers can only be employed by the managerial authorities of schools to provide cover for teachers absent from their teaching posts on approved leave of absence. The on line claim system determines the approved absences for which substitute teachers may be employed. If an absence is not approved the claim for the substitute teacher cannot be submitted for payment to my Department using the on line claim system.