Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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95. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has received an application for an extra teacher for a school (details supplied) which is expected to have the necessary number of students enrolled at the start of the school to require a fifth teacher; when a decision will be made on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21824/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department 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 schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the appeal process and application form are available in Circular 0010/2018, "Staffing Arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2018/19 School Year", which is published on the Department website.

My Department has received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board will meet to review appeals for the 2018/19 school year in the coming weeks and the school will be notified of the outcome of the appeal.

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