Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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1414. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Louth has been allocated a second deputy principal when they do not meet the criteria as set out by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34448/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.Under these arrangements an ex-quota Deputy Principal Post is allocated to each post primary school with an enrolment of at least 500 recognised pupils (such posts are filled in-quota in smaller schools). A second ex-quota Deputy Principal post is allocated to each school with a minimum enrolment of 1,000 or more recognised pupils or in DEIS schools with a minimum enrolment of 900 or more recognised pupils.

At post primary level and in accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support i.e., curricular concessions. Short term support is needed (normally for one year but not exceeding 2/3 school years) to enable the school authority to respond to the identified problem.

As part of the curricular concession process, School management can apply for a Deputy Principal concession in cases whereby a schools enrolment is falling under or moving close to the Deputy Principal threshold.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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1415. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired teachers employed in primary and secondary schools for the 2013-2014 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34449/14]

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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1416. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired teachers employed in primary and secondary schools for five days or less during the 2013-2014 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34450/14]

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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1417. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired teachers employed in primary and secondary schools for six days or more during the 2013-2014 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34451/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1415 to 1417, inclusive, together.

Teachers are employed by the managerial authorities of schools. The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available.

The information currently available relates to March 2014 compared to March 2013. In March 2014 a total of 282 retired teachers were employed by the managerial authorities of schools. One hundred and forty nine retired primary teachers and one hundred and thirty three retired voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive teachers were employed. However, seventy per cent of those teachers worked 5 days or less.

By comparison in March 2013 a total of 362 retired teachers were employed by the managerial authorities. Two hundred and eight retired primary teachers and one hundred and fifty four retired voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive teachers were employed. In that period eighty five per cent worked 5 days or less.

The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the managerial authorities of schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts.

My Department has issued a number of circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under the terms of these circulars school Principal's must maintain a list of unemployed registered teachers who are available for substitute work at short notice and report to the Board of Management on any exceptional occasion where they have to engage a registered teacher who is retired.

A retired teacher who returns to teaching on or after 1 February 2012 commences at the first point of the incremental salary scale. Incremental credit for service prior to 1 February 2012, qualification allowances and certain job role allowances are also not payable.

These measures represents a significant financial disincentive for teachers who retired at the top of their salary scale, often with a post of responsibility allowance, to return to teaching.

Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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1418. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the oversight her Department provides to ensure that unemployed and newly qualified teachers are prioritised for temporary or permanent teaching positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34452/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The redeployment arrangements is the first method used to fill vacancies in the school system. The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. 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. Thereafter, primary schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers.

Once the redeployment panels have been cleared, primary schools with permanent vacancies are advised that they can proceed to open competition to fill these vacancies. Temporary posts are filled by open competition which appropriately qualified teachers are eligible to apply for.

The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the managerial authorities of schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant posts and my Department has issued a number of circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under these circulars, School Principals must maintain a list of unemployed registered teachers who are available for substitute work at short notice. Circular 31/2011 details a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers, prioritising registered teachers over retired registered teachers and unregistered people.