Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

217. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43424/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 30th September.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.  The school referred to by the Deputy was granted a staffing appeal post, on a provisional basis pending confirmation of enrolments on 30th September 2019.

As the school did not achieve the required enrolment, the post will be suppressed with effect from 25th October.  The school has been notified in this regard. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board  operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

DES Circulars 0007/2019 for primary schools provide details of how the allocations of Special Education Teachers have been updated for schools from September 2019, based on updated profile data.  All schools have now received revised allocations for September 2019. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.

The school referred to by the Deputy has 20 special education teaching hours, or 0.8 of a special education teacher post, for an enrolment of 83 pupils at the time the profile was developed.

Both this Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.  An appeal process in relation to the calculation of the allocations was made available earlier this year and additional allocations are also provided to schools which achieve developing post status.  A process is also available where schools can seek a review of their allocations, including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.  This appeal process is available at:  

I am satisfied that there are in place a number of processes which can review the special education teacher allocation for schools where necessary.