Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his policy on redeploying teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20479/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary and post-primary schools, including redeployment arrangements, are published annually. The staffing and redeployment arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are available on the Department website. Teaching vacancies are filled in the first instance through the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers.

Teaching resources are allocated to schools on a school year basis. The bulk of teaching posts in schools are allocated on a permanent basis. Unlike most other areas of the public service teaching vacancies continue to be filled in accordance with published Department criteria. The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework.