Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) was not allocated with an EAL teacher in 2017 in view of the fact that the school requested and was previously allocated one EAL teacher for the previous three consecutive school years; and the reason this decision changed in 2017 in view of the fact that there has been no change to the school's percentages. [24119/17]

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 schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. Circular 0017/2017 provides details for schools wishing to make an appeal.

The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal under the EAL criterion

to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Board upheld the appeal subject to the school achieving its projected enrolments on 30 September 2017.

The Appeal Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.