Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any flexibility can be given to rural schools to retain a teacher in cases in which the number of students falls to ensure that rural schools can remain open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49860/22]

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 schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally.

Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 24 pupils which is at its historically lowest level.

Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and supporting small schools and I am delighted that significant progress has been made.

In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the lowest ever seen at primary level. This was my third successive Budget which saw an improvement in allocation of teachers to primary schools. Budget 2021 reduced the staffing schedule to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils, while Budget 2022 reduced it further to 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils.

This significantly increased investment reflects my commitment and that of Government to support the educational success of learners and to provide a quality inclusive school system with improved learning outcomes for all.

In Budget 2021, I also introduced a three point reduction in the retention schedule, which assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. The recent announcement in Budget 2023 will further reduce this retention schedule, by virtue of the one point improvement to the staffing schedule which helps to ensure better teacher retention in primary schools while also ensuring that less pupils are required to retain or recruit a teacher.

This builds on measures in previous budgets which has seen improvements in the overall allocation of teaching posts and specific targeted measures for small and isolated schools as well as primary schools on our islands.

The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board, including a specific measure aimed at small schools. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board will meet later this month to consider staffing appeals in respect of the current school year.