Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in March 2009; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2009; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2010; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2011; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in primary schools in September 2012; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in March 2009; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2009. [32396/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2011; the number of assistant principal posts and special duties posts in post-primary schools in September 2012. [32397/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will list in tabular form the number of Assistant Principal posts returned to primary schools and post primary schools each year as a result of the limited alleviation introduced for schools acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium. [32398/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 102, inclusive, together.

When the moratorium on the filling of posts of responsibility was introduced the Government exempted Principal and Deputy Principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these posts 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 posts of responsibility. 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.

Limited alleviation was introduced for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at Assistant Principal level. This alleviation is mainly focused on post-primary schools. The detailed information requested by the Deputy would take some time to compile by staff in my Department. I do not therefore propose to divert them from their work on the staffing allocations for the 2013/14 school year. Instead I am providing you with the summary information on the overall impact of the moratorium since it was first introduced in March 2009. At that time about 53% of teachers had posts of responsibility. This has since reduced to about 39%. The attached tables give some more detail on the overall position since the moratorium was introduced.

Level of Reduction in Posts of Responsibility

Alleviation.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will instruct his Department to carry out a review of the workload of principal teachers with particular emphasis on the role of teaching principals in view of reports that increasing workload pressure, responsibility and accountability is leading to a general negativity about the role of school leadership. [32399/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department is focused on improving its systems and requirements to ensure that the administrative burden for Principals, schools and for the Department itself is minimised as far as possible. To this end, a range of initiatives have been and continue to be undertaken by my Department.

One such example is the introduction of electronic submission of primary schools' annual enrolment returns resulting in significant administrative efficiencies to this annual process for both schools and my Department.

In recent years, my Department has also simplified the teacher allocation and redeployment processes with a view to giving earlier certainty to schools in relation to their teacher allocation and the arrangements for the filling of teaching posts.

Other developments in recent years have included the introduction of an Online Claims System (OLCS) for teacher payroll and the payment of part-time teachers through the Department's payroll. The latter ended the previously burdensome system under which each school, funded by grant payments, was required to make its own arrangements to pay part-time teachers.

Across all areas of my Department, we are continuously seeking to identify opportunities, ranging from small administrative changes to the more significant and major reforms, to streamline our processes, achieve better value for money and ultimately improve the education provided to our students. My officials will continue to work, in consultation with stakeholders as appropriate, on addressing this issue on an on-going basis.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary principals between the age of 21 and 30; the number of primary principals between the age of 31 and 40; the number of primary principals between the age of 41 and 50; the number of primary principals between the age of 51 and 60; and the number of primary principals older than 60. [32400/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The information requested by the Deputy on the age profile of principals in primary schools is as follows: