Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will approve the appeal in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Offaly against the decision to reduce the number of teachers in the school to three; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40186/14]

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 four classroom teachers (including the Principal teacher) based on an enrolment of 91 pupils at 30 September, 2013.

Data in relation to enrolment figures in primary schools in the current school year 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. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.