Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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36. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will double the release from teaching time of teaching principals. [21894/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Principal duties in small to medium sized schools are carried out by teaching principals. Teaching principals are provided with release time in order to assist them fulfilling their principal duties. Under these arrangements my Department pays for a substitute teacher to be employed by a school so that the principal can come out of the classroom.

Under the current arrangements the number of days that teaching principals may take as release time in each school year ranges between 14 and 22 days depending on the size of the school. The cost of doubling this release time would be of the order of €10m per annum.

I am very conscious of the need to improve the school leadership supports in all our schools so that principals can focus on their role as leaders of learning. This is an issue that needs to be addressed and will be one of my priorities when additional funding is available for investment in education.