Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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476. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the proposed loss of a mainstream class teacher and the loss of a portion of a learning support post for a primary school (details supplied) in County Cork for the 2016-2017 year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5053/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2016/2017 school year is set out in the Staffing Schedule (Circular 0007/2016) which is available on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule and pupil enrolments on 30 September 2015. The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the criteria for appeal are outlined in the published staffing arrangements, Circular 0007/2016.

The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal for consideration by the Appeals Board for the March 2016 meeting of the board. The Appeals Board determined that this appeal was unsuccessful. The school has been notified accordingly. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.

Circular 0007/2016 also sets out the arrangements for GAM/EAL (learning/language support) for the 2016/2017 school year in detail. A school's GAM/EAL allocation for the 2016/17 school year is based on its mainstream classroom posts for the 2015/16 school year. Schools can also enter into cluster arrangements with neighbouring schools to make a full-time GAM/EAL post (25 hours). Following the school-led process for clustering GAM/EAL hours the school in question has entered into an arrangement to share the post with a neighbouring school and so retains the GAM/EAL post on a shared basis.