Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

407. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to establish a supply teacher panel for the north west of Connemara, County Galway; her further plans for teacher absences for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23530/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Roadmap for the Full Return to School provides for comprehensive supports across a range of areas to allow for the safe reopening of schools.

Among the supports provided is the extension of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel. The scheme has been expanded from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to over 100 base schools, providing substitute cover to over 2,000 schools across the country.

In forming the Supply Panel clusters, my Department's GIS system identified the receiving schools based on distance from the base school. Teaching posts were allocated to each Supply Panel cluster based on the number of permanent teaching positions in the schools in the cluster and the distance to the base school.

A Supply Panel cluster has been established in Scoil Mhuire, Clifden which services schools in the area referred to by the Deputy.