Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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804. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Donegal under the patronage of the Church of Ireland will have a two-teacher appointment and retention threshold of 15 students for the 2015-2016 school year in view of the fact that the nearest school with Church of Ireland patronage is ten miles away, while there is a school under the patronage of the Presbyterian church within 8 km; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11809/15]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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805. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if primary schools with Church of Ireland patronage will qualify for the new two-teacher appointment and retention threshold of 15 students for the 2015-2016 school year in the event that there is a school under the patronage of the Presbyterian church located within 8 km and vice versa; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11811/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 804 and 805 together.

The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year 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.

An appeals process is also available to small schools. Details of the appeals criteria are set out in the published staffing arrangements. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.

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.