Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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493. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to change the implementation of the policy in the professional development service for teachers with regard to the need for staff within the service to retire or return to the classroom within five years, therefore losing the experience built up in the service throughout the years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36692/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department, through the teacher support services, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the school system can be met within the resources available.

Having teachers with relevant and recent teaching experience and expertise is a key requirement for the role. It is a condition therefore that the maximum length of time that a teacher may be on secondment is five years, following which they return to their teaching roles within their schools. In this way, their expertise and knowledge is not lost to the system.

The support services, including the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) must engage in succession planning as a key strategy in ensuring continued support for teachers and school leaders in implementing national education policy priorities and CPD and which allows for continuity, quality planning and management.

Therefore I have no plans to change the policy of the five year limit.