Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers who have participated in the professional diploma in mathematics for teaching announced by his Department in May 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18923/14]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of participating teachers who have completed the professional diploma in mathematics for teaching successfully; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18924/14]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of qualified teachers teaching maths in classrooms as a result of the professional diploma in mathematics for teaching successfully; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18925/14]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the three years' funding expires for the professional diploma in mathematics for teaching successfully, if it will be renewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18926/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 154, inclusive, together.

In 2012, the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, a blended learning, two year part-time programme was made available nationwide free of charge to improve the skills of certain maths teachers at post-primary level. It is a condition of entry to the programme that the applicant will continue to teach maths.

Provision of the course is led by the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching & Learning (NCE-MSTL), based in the University of Limerick (UL), and it will be accredited jointly by the UL and NUI Galway through their strategic alliance. Some 317 teachers are enrolled in the first round of the programme which began in September 2012. 295 teachers are enrolled in the second round which began in September 2013. A further intake is planned for September 2014. As the course is of 2 years' duration, no participants have completed the programme yet.

Funding is committed for the two rounds of the programme currently underway and for a third intake this September. Decisions on future rounds will be made in light of factors such as continuing demand and available resources.