Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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994. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit of the skills, specialisms and expertise of each seconded member of the support services, such as her Department's constituent agency, the Professional Development for Teachers, was carried out by her Department when derogations to the five-year secondment limit were being decided, in spite of the fact that her Department's officials decided secondments would not last in excess of five years; the number of persons who started on this scheme; the number who are currently still on the secondment; the number who have had the secondment extended beyond five years; the basis and the persons involved in the decisions allowing each secondment to be extended beyond the five-year term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22172/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department, through the teacher support services and education centres, engages teachers on a full time basis annually for the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) through secondment from their schools. These secondments are subject to annual review. The arrangements provide flexibility and ensure that the in-service needs of teachers and other support priorities of the school system can be met within the resources available.

The support services have engaged in succession planning as a key strategy in ensuring continued support for teachers and school leaders in implementing national education policy priorities and CPD and which allows for continuity, quality planning and management.

A limited alleviation of the application of the five year secondment limit has been agreed. It is Department policy to apply the alleviation to meet the business needs of each of the support services, for example, where seconded teachers take on leadership roles or have a specialism or expertise where retention is necessary for continuity, quality planning and management.

The implementation of this policy is a matter for the services concerned and the relevant section of my Department.

The detail of the overall number of secondments together with derogated posts for each support service is contained in the tables.

APPROVAL NUMBERS FOR EACH SERVICE FOR 2015/16

RETENTIONS FOR EACH SERVICE FOR 2015/16