Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to change the provisions with regard to director’s tenure under regulation 11(6) of SI No. 394 of 2017, which states that directors cannot serve for more than five consecutive years, in view of concerns that this specific clause is not conducive to the effective management of an education centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44917/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department arranges for the secondment of teachers from their teaching posts for the purpose of developing and providing CPD for teachers and for the appointment as Directors of Education Support Centres (ESC's). Secondments are a temporary arrangement renewable on a year to year basis. While on secondment, teachers retain their school post, the terms and conditions that apply to teachers and receive their salary and a secondment allowance which are met in full by my Department.

In 2010, a new policy of secondment was negotiated with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DPER). The policy sanctioned a new limit on secondment numbers and established an upper limit of 5 years on the length of a secondment, following which the Directors return to their posts either as a teacher or an inspector.

There are many benefits from the revised policy for teachers, their boards of management and the system as a whole. Because an upper limit of 5 years now applies to secondments, there is:

- confidence that the teachers involved in the delivery of CPD have recent experience of the curriculum and of the school environment

- certainty about secondment parameters which assist individual teachers and their boards of management in planning.

There are more opportunities for teachers to take on career enhancing roles in the support services and the Centres. Teachers returning to their school after a period of secondment have the potential to enrich their school environment and they become eligible to take on subsequent secondment opportunities after a period back in their school.

Regular turnover of seconded teachers is now an established practice with teachers returning to enrich their schools so the investment in their skills is not lost. Since 2010, 10 Education Centres have successfully recruited new Directors and the work of the Centres has not been negatively affected.

Accordingly, the regulations I promulgated under Section 37(6) of the Education Act underpins my Departments secondment policy for the secondment of Directors to Education Support Centres.