Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the position in a school (details supplied) and the increased risks the school faces losing a teacher due to lower enrolment numbers than expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32065/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing schedule is an allocation mechanism that uses enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts allocated to a school. This is a long standing arrangement for allocating teaching posts to our primary schools in a fair and equitable way based on their respective enrolment.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location. For the 2020/21 school year at primary level it operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 26 pupils which is historically the lowest level.I am very pleased to say that under Budget 2021 as announced, this will be further reduced to 25:1 from September 2021.

The staffing arrangements for primary schools also include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September.

The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated a temporary teaching post on this basis as the school had indicated that it was expecting an enrolment of 334 students in September 2020,which was a projected increase of 39 pupils.

My Department has recently received an enrolment return of 277 pupils from this school as at 30^thSeptember and it clear that school has not experienced a growth in enrolments, instead their overall school enrolment has gone down from last year.  This school is 57 pupils below what they had indicated as their projected enrolment for September.

The school has submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board and will be notified of the decision of the Board this week.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools due to lose staff on 24 October 2020 due to smaller enrolments than expected reported on the annual school census by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32066/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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 arrangements includes a staffing appeal mechanism and a developing post application process which allows for schools to be allocated posts on the basis of projected enrolments. 

The information requested by the Deputy is not available as the staffing process for primary schools, including staffing appeals, is ongoing.  Schools that had been allocated posts on a provisional basis based on projected enrolments will be informed of the outcome this week.