Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Meath will have a teaching staff reduction from four to three. [9532/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers 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 30th September. The staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year (Circular 0007/2014) were published in January. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. It currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools.

As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, there is a phased increase in the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools with four teachers or less. The first phase of the budget measure took effect from September 2012. The final phase of the budget measure takes effect from September 2014.

An appeals process is available to small schools which have had their staff number reduced as a result of the budget measure. A school with four classroom teachers or less which is losing a teacher or failed to gain an additional teacher as a result of the Budget 2012 measure can submit an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board.

The school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board will meet later this month and the school will be notified of the Board's decision in due course.

The Appeal Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.