Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the changes to the staffing schedules for primary schools announced earlier this week, which reduced the retention numbers required for small schools to retain teacher numbers, if she will review the appointment figures in place, to ensure that any small schools which lost a teaching post due to the initial increases, will not be disadvantaged in securing the return of these teachers; if she will equalise retention and appointment figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8356/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year were published last week. They are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website at www.education.gov.ie. The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved appointment and retention thresholds for isolated one-teacher schools. These improvements are estimated to benefit of the order of about 30 small schools. The final number of schools to benefit from these improvements to the staffing schedule will be known in the Autumn after the teacher allocation process has fully transacted.

These improvements particularly recognise the challenges faced by very small schools that are more than 8 km from the next nearest school of the same type.

This package of measures will provide rural communities with security about the future of their small schools, recognising the essential social function which small schools can play, especially in isolated communities.

These improvements in the Staffing Schedule for small schools are the only changes that I am making to the staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year.