Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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683. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm that an appeal from a school (details supplied) in County Donegal has been received by her Department's primary staffing appeals board; when a decision in relation to this appeal will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14019/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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 schools. Details of the appeals criteria are set out in the published staffing arrangements. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the March, 2015 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school was informed on 23 March, 2015 that its appeal has been upheld on the basis that it achieves an enrolment of 19 pupils on 30 September 2015. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.