Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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775. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the results of successful and unsuccessful appeals from the primary staffing appeals board 2020-21 school year in tabular form. [33104/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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 (teachers) 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. For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level. In DEIS schools, the staffing schedule operates at a more preferential allocation ratio.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board under certain criteria as outlined in the staffing circular 18/2020.

This year the Department and the Primary Staffing Appeals Board are very cognisant of the impact of COVID-19 on schools and in that context has looked carefully at all decisions on the allocation of teaching posts where schools have reduced enrolments to ensure that all decisions are reasonable and all schools are treated fairly.

In relation to appeals dealt with by the Primary Appeals Board, 195 appeals were submitted by schools with 54% of these appeals successful, 32% of the appeals received were ineligible and 14% had their appeals refused.

Each school setting is different in terms of physical layout, available space, student numbers and staffing; schools themselves are best placed to decide on the necessary changes/reconfigurations to maintain physical distancing. The Department has been working closely with those schools who are experiencing particular difficulty in implementing and maintaining physical distancing arrangements in classrooms.