Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure the continued viability of small rural primary schools belonging to minority Christian faiths; if she will reverse the decision in relation to pupil teacher ratios in these schools, many of which are one or two teacher schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32508/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Government recognises that small schools are an important part of the social fabric of rural communities. They will continue to be a feature of our education landscape. As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools is being gradually increased between September 2012 and September 2014. In these extremely challenging times, all public servants are being asked to deliver our public services on a reduced level of resources and teachers in small schools cannot be immune from this requirement. The phasing of these measures can provide the schools concerned with time to consider the potential for amalgamation with other schools where this is feasible. If amalgamations do take place, they will be voluntary and follow decisions taken by local communities and not by the Department.

How best to sustain provision for widely dispersed and small Protestant communities does present as a particular challenge especially in any locality where enrolment in their schools is declining to single figures and amalgamation is not an option because there is no other school nearby. The Government is intent in fostering pluralism in school provision. Supporting minority churches in maintaining their schools is part of that policy.

Our current configuration of small primary schools has been examined by the Department in a value for money (VFM) review. This review took account of the ethos of schools and the locations of small schools relative to other schools of a similar type. I will be considering this review in consultation with my Government colleagues and I intend to publish the report on completion of this consideration process.

It should also be noted that my Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the schools that are affected by the budget measure. In this regard small schools will not lose their classroom post if they are projecting sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term.

The detailed arrangements in relation to the appeals process are set in the Department's Staffing Circular 0007/2014. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of minority Christian faith primary schools located in rural Ireland with four or fewer than four mainstream class teachers broken down by county and by the number of mainstream class teachers in each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32509/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of one teacher schools in the State in each of the school years commencing in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 respectively broken down by county giving the ethos of each school and their name, address and roll number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32522/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 241 together.

There is detailed historical information contained in the Statistics Section of my Department's website relating to the number of teaching posts in schools and school ethos. The most recent published information relates to the 2013/2014 school year.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the names, addresses and roll numbers of the 27 schools that will lose a classroom teacher in September 2014 as a result of the budget 2012 measure, broken down by county; the number of teachers in each of these schools at present; the number in each school next September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32521/14]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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242. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in total, giving their names, addresses and roll numbers that have lost a teacher due to the budget changes announced in budget 2012 in relation to small schools, broken down by county, and giving the number of teachers in each school prior to these budget changes and next September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32523/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 242 together.

Some 39 small primary schools are losing a classroom post for the coming school year due to the increased pupil thresholds announced in Budget 2012. The loss of a classroom post in 12 of these schools is due to the final phase of the Budget 2012 measure. The loss of a classroom post in each of the other 27 schools is due to the effect of the earlier phase of the Budget 2012 measure combined with a reduction in enrolments.

The list of these schools is being given to the Deputy.

Schools of all sizes, including small schools, can also gain or lose a classroom post due entirely to changes in their enrolments. The final overall position in relation to staffing will be known in the Autumn when actual enrolments are confirmed.

Small primary schools losing a classroom post for 2014/15 school year as a result of the application of the increased pupil thresholds announced in Budget 2012