Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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408. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated annual cost of providing on an ongoing basis release time for administrative and management purposes of one day per week for each teaching principal of a primary school; her plans to bring this about as standard in view of the increased workload and demands on principal teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29344/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the supports provided under The Roadmap for the Full Return to School, specific funding was provided to support Principals who undertake teaching duties in primary schools.  This funding provides each teaching principal with a minimum of one release day per week.  More than 1,700 primary schools with teaching principals have benefitted from the increase in release days.

The annual cost of one release day per week for each school with a teaching principal is in the region of €17 million. 

Schools have been advised that, in the context of COVID-19, the additional allocation of Principal Release Days outlined in Circular 45/2020, "COVID-19 Operational Supports for the Full Return to School" will remain in place for the 2021/22 school year and each school with a teaching principal will have 37 Principal Release Days. 

Making standard one release day per week for teaching principals is a budgetary matter and therefore would have to be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.