Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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519. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of pupils in a class in a primary school that is legally considered to be big; if there is such a provision in law; and when an extra teacher is required to be provided to a primary school by her Department. [7724/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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 also include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final. The staffing arrangements for the 2015/2016 school year are set out in Circular 0005/2015 which is available on the Department website.

At primary level the staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. The primary staffing schedule currently operates on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 28 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools.

My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). School authorities are also requested, where possible, to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.

The Government's approach to restoring the economy has helped Ireland to return to a position where we are seeing economic growth. It is a continuing improvement in our economic growth over a sustained period that will enable us to move to a point where we can look again at providing for additional teacher resources in schools which could bring about an improvement in PTR, class size and support for classroom teachers.

In the meantime, my Department's focus is on targeting any available resources to cater for the continued increase in student numbers. In this regard, there were a thousand more teachers employed in schools around the country in the last school year, than there was the year before. There will be a further increase of circa 1,300 teachers in the current school year.