Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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467. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the proposed removal of a teacher from a school (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this school serves a very disadvantaged community including a large number of students of whom 21% are from the Traveller community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24279/21]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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469. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24281/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 469 together.

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.

For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils which is a historical low ratio. In addition, a three point reduction in the retention scale has also been introduced for September 2021. These measures will help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.

The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to by the Deputy submitted a staffing appeal which was deemed ineligible by the Appeals Board as the grounds of the appeal did not meet the published appeals criteria. The school has been notified of this decision. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.