Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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557. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if retention thresholds for two, three and four-teacher primary schools for 2016-17 will be 18, 52 and 82, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45873/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. 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 process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the appeals criteria are set out in the published staffing arrangements.

The Deputy will be aware that I have made provision in Budget 2016 for some 2,260 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools next year. These posts will provide for an improvement in the staffing schedules at primary and post primary levels, enhance the leadership and management roles of deputy principals at post-primary level by reducing their teaching time, an improvement to the scheme of release time for principal teachers at primary level and additional resource posts to meet special education needs.

At primary level there will be a one point improvement to the primary staffing schedule to be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools. The improved staffing schedule, which include the retention thresholds referred to by the Deputy, is currently available on the Department website.

Preparation for the staffing and redeployment process for the 2016/17 school year is currently underway in my Department. The staffing and redeployment arrangements for all schools for the 2016/17 school year will be published shortly.