Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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195. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the threshold number for the retention of three mainstream teachers in an offshore island school for 2015 / 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19006/15]

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 atwww.education.gov.ie.Section 1 of the Circular sets out the retention arrangements for Island Schools in the event that a reduction in the pupil numbers of an island school will result in the loss of the second or third classroom teaching post and where the school is the only primary school remaining on the island. The retention threshold for the third classroom teaching post is 45 pupils where the school is the only primary school remaining on the island. The particular staffing arrangements for island schools that are set out in the published Department Circular 0005/2015 are designed to reflect the isolated nature of an island school that is only accessible by sea/air and the operational and practical difficulties that this can create for the school and, in particular, the availability of teaching staff.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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196. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Kerry will be considered an offshore island school, for teacher allocation purposes, due to a number of factors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19007/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department has already set out previously the position in relation to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the coming school year. As part of the information supplied the Deputy has raised the question as to whether my Department is in breach of the Lisbon Treaty. I will arrange for my Department to seek some advices on this matter and revert to the Deputy in relation to the outcome.