Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the refusal by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board for an additional teacher outside the allocation for a school (details supplied). [15562/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2016/2017 school year is set out in Circular 0007/2016. 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 30 September 2015.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for consideration by the Appeals Board at its May meeting which was refused. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

Based on its enrolment on 30th September 2015, the school will have a mainstream staffing of Administrative Principal and 6 classroom teachers for the 2016/17 school year, the same as the current year's staffing. The staffing schedule allows for a pupil teacher ratio of 22:1 for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools with classes from infants through to 6th class, such as the school referred to by the Deputy. In its appeal, the school projected an enrolment of 125 for September 2016 which will mean the pupil teacher ratio in the school will be less than 21 students to every mainstream classroom teacher.

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.).