Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department imposes caps on secondary school transition year class sizes; if additional resources will be provided if the demand increases in a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10266/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year Programme in that school. In some schools, the programme is compulsory for all students. In those that offer it as an option, circumstances may arise where it is necessary to limit the number of students who can avail of it.

It is the board of management of each individual school that decides the number of places available to students on programmes such as Transition Year. In cases where restrictions apply, schools should have clear procedures regarding how places are allocated to students. 

My Department has recently published Circular 0007/2018 setting out the staffing arrangements for post-primary schools for the 2018/19 school year. A proportion of posts allocated to post-primary schools are determined on the basis of ratios of recognised pupils to teachers for the various approved programmes including Transition Year. The pupil teacher ratio (PTR) applicable in respect of Transition Year pupils is equal to the PTR applicable in respect of pupils enrolled in programmes such as the Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational (LCVP) programmes.