Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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511. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the decision to remove one mainstream class teacher from a school (details supplied) in County Galway on the basis that it is short one pupil for the 86 pupil cut-off point this year; if her attention has been drawn to this decision that will mean students being taught in multi-grade classes and a number of classrooms lying idle; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36868/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements for the 2014/15 school year are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is available on the Department website. There is no change to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the current 2014/15 school year. The school has a mainstream staffing of Principal teacher and 3 classroom teachers based on an enrolment of 86 pupils at 30 September, 2013.

Data in relation to enrolment figures in primary schools in the current school are not yet available to my Department. The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the National School Annual Census and refers to the number of pupils enrolled as of the 30th of September in the given academic year. The National School Annual Census is generally returned by schools to the Department by end October.

The staffing arrangements for the 2015/16 school year will be published early in 2015 and this will enable schools to determine their staffing levels for the 2015/16 school year.