Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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258. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to ensure the future and ethos of the small minority faith schools in rural Ireland and to ensure they have adequate staff numbers; the number of these schools that have one, two, or more than two mainstream classroom teachers; the changes made to the pupil-teacher ratio for these schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43354/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. 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.

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 one-teacher schools situated 8km or more from the nearest school of the same type of patronage and/or language of instruction.

This package of measures will provide rural communities with security about the future of their small schools, recognising the essential social function which small schools can play, especially in isolated communities.

In addition, I have announced a 1 point improvement to the primary staffing schedule in the context of Budget 2016. The improved staffing schedule which is available on the Department website will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. The staffing arrangements for all schools for the 2016/17 school year will be published early in 2016.

The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data relating to schools, including teacher numbers. The most recent published information relates to the 2014/15 school year.