Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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767. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if approval will be provided to the extension of secondments of directors of education centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49597/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department, through the education centres and 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 in their schools. In this way, their expertise and knowledge is not lost to the system. Each education centre has a management committee and staff which ensures continuity at a local level. The teacher secondment arrangements were disseminated extensively so the necessary planning could take place at all levels including education centres, support services, school boards of management and individual teacher. Implementation of the arrangements is now well advanced. Accordingly, there are no plans to change the policy of the five year limit.

I am aware that a number of education centre directors will reach their five year limit in August 2015. Some alleviation was agreed to allow a small number to serve beyond that date for a limited period and there has been consultations with the directors in this regard. My Department continues to be open to considering any proposal within the policy parameters outlined above.