Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Department of Education and Skills

Teacher Recruitment

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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301. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which primary and secondary level teaching posts have been approved in respect of primary and second level schools in counties Sligo and Leitrim; the extent to which this is expected to favourably impact teaching conditions in the schools in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13356/17]

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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310. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he will augment the career guidance service throughout second level education in counties Sligo and Leitrim; his views on whether there will be an improvement in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13365/17]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 310 together.

Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to all schools is published annually on my Department’s website. The teacher allocation process operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.

The staffing arrangements include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.

Budget 2017 sets out the resources available for schools for the 2017/18 school year. This Budget represents the start of a major reinvestment in education, and the first phase of implementation of the Action Plan for Education, aimed at becoming the best education system in Europe within a decade. The budget provides for over 2,400 additional teaching posts for our primary and post primary schools in the next school year.

This includes 680 posts to meet rising demographic needs at both primary and post primary level, 900 additional special education teachers to cover both sectors, 550 additional posts arising from Junior Cycle professional time, 100 posts arising from enhancements to guidance and 170 posts arising from enhancements to school leadership.

The 2017/18 school year will see a significant increase in teacher numbers (almost 4,700) in our schools compared to the 2015/16 school year.

The Action Plan for Education 2016-2019 also has a specific action to enhance guidance counselling at second-level as resources permit. A significant move was made in the 2016/17 school year with the restoration of half of the cut in provision for guidance counselling. This was the equivalent to the restoration of 300 posts.

The allocation of a whole time equivalent of an additional 100 teachers to second level schools in Budget 2017 is a restoration of a further 16% of the teaching resources that were removed. 

The delivery of this 16% restoration in addition to the 50% restoration in Budget 2016, means that two thirds of the Guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012 will be restored in our schools with effect from September 2017.

The 400 posts will be provided in respect of Guidance as a separate allocation on school’s staffing schedules. The guidance allocation shown separately on the staffing schedules represents 0.4 of the PTR for each school.  DEIS schools will have a guidance allocation of 1.15 of the PTR which represents the total guidance allocation that was restored to these schools.

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