Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will be eligible to gain a second teacher in 2017-18, if they have 15 pupils spread across three class groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32621/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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.

New measures announced in last month's budget provides a capacity for one teacher mainland schools to make an appeal to the Staffing Appeals Board for an extra teacher, where the single teacher has children across 6 or more class groups. Before a school can make an appeal to the Staffing Appeals Board it must have a minimum enrolment of 15 pupils.

This is in addition to the measure in respect of island schools. The particular staffing arrangements for island schools are designed to reflect the isolated nature of an island school that is only accessible by boat or by helicopter/aeroplane and the operational and practical difficulties that this can create for the school and, in particular, the availability of teaching staff.

These two measures are important additional supports for rural schools on top of other similar measures introduced recently. However, we have to prioritise limited resources.

The detailed arrangements for this measure including the details on the appeals process will be set out in the staffing schedule Circular for the 2017/18 school year. The Circular will be published in January 2017.

Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an additional teacher will be allocated to a school (details supplied) due to the fact that the school has reached the 55 pupil teacher ratio as of September 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32637/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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 school referred to by the Deputy had an enrolment of 53 on 30 September 2015. This allows for a mainstream staffing of 2 teachers – Principal and 1 classroom teacher - for the 2016/17 school year. There has been no change to the staffing of the school since last year.

Staffing arrangements for the 2017/18 school year have not yet been finalised. They will be published early in 2017 and at that stage, schools will be able to establish their staffing for the following school year.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32602/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Department of Education and Skills Circular 0007/2016 sets out the criteria for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools for the 2016/2017 school year. The circular includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September, in this case September 2016.

The school referred to by the Deputy was approved for 2 permanent developing school posts, subject to achieving projected enrolments on 30th September 2016. Actual pupil numbers on that date did not meet the required enrolment and so the school were informed that the posts are to be suppressed on 28 October 2016.

The school submitted an appeal to the October meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board to retain the posts for the school year. The Appeals Board refused the appeal on the basis that the grounds of the appeal did not warrant the allocation of additional posts. The school has been notified of this decision.

The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.