Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to review the number of teachers in a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11991/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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 includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. My Department has not received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy.

The school had a mainstream teaching post suppressed for the 2015/16 school year due to falling enrolments. The pupil-teacher ratio in the school for the 2015/16 school year is 27.4:1. The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.). School authorities are also requested, where possible, to use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior classes.

The mainstream staffing in the school will remain the same for 2016/17 on the basis of the number of pupils enrolled on 30th September 2015.