Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) wishes to retain an extra school teacher it acquired in 2016; if the school can retain the extra teacher it acquired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16498/17]

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 staffing arrangements for the 2017/18 school year (Circular 0017/2017) were published recently.

The school referred to by the Deputy had an enrolment of 501 pupils on the 30th September 2016. As set out in the staffing schedule, the enrolment figure required to retain the 19^thclassroom teaching post is 502 pupils.

For 2017/18 an additional Special Education Post (S.E.T. Post) has been allocated to this school under the new Special Education allocation model. This revised allocation process will replace the General Allocation Model and English as Additional Language Support (GAM/EAL) scheme, whereby a general allocation of resources had previously been allocated to primary schools annually.

The staffing schedule 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 contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0017/2017.

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