Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he would provide in tabular form the schools in County Kerry that have lost a teacher due to the implementation of budget 2012 teacher threshold increases; if he will categorise the information into two, three and four teacher categories; the academic years for which the teachers were lost; the enrolment numbers in each case; the total savings achieved in the county since the implementation of the changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50753/13]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total savings achieved since the implementation of the Budget 2012 teacher threshold changes, broken down into two, three and four teacher schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50754/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together.

The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements for the current school year 2013/14 are set out in Circular 0013/2013 which is available on the website.

Since the implementation of the 2012 budget measure to increase the pupil thresholds in primary schools with four teachers and less a total of 125 schools were due to lose a classroom teacher. The affected schools had the right to appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board in the event that they could show that their projected enrolments in September 2012 and September 2013 respectively, were sufficient to allow them retain their classroom teacher over the longer term. In the 2012/13 school year 63 schools submitted an appeal. 43 appeals were provisionally upheld, of which 14 subsequently lost their posts as projected enrolment did not materialise. The saving achieved in the 2012/13 school year was of the order of €2.6m, including employer PRSI.

In the 2013/14 school year 28 schools submitted an appeal. 23 appeals were provisionally upheld, of which 6 subsequently lost their posts as projected enrolment did not materialise. The saving achieved in the current school year is of the order of €2.2m, including employer PRSI. The information sought by the Deputy in relation to schools is Kerry is set out on the attached table.

The allocation process for the 2014/15 school year is currently underway in my Department and the staffing arrangements, including the appeals process, for primary schools will be published on the Department website early in 2014. The final staffing position for all schools will not be known until later in 2014 when the allocation process will be fully completed and all appeals to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board will have been considered.

Schools in Co. Kerry which lost a teacher due to changes introduced in Budget 2012

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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257. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process and time frame for a school that is a two-teacher school but will have in excess of 56 students in 2014-15 and beyond and wishes to apply to his Department for the allocation of a third teacher for 2014-2015; when it will need to apply; when it will be informed of a decision; the information it will need to supply and any other relevant information. [50756/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. Preparation for the staffing and redeployment process for the 2014/15 school year is currently underway in my Department. The staffing arrangements for all schools for the 2014/15 school year will be published early in 2014.