Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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403. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of a situation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44412/24]

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 include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment.

The school referred to by the Deputy was successful in their application for an additional teaching post on projected enrolment grounds and was informed that the additional post was provisional on the school achieving an enrolment of 198 on 30 September 2024. The school’s actual enrolment on that date was 177. The school was informed that the post would be suppressed at the end of October, in accordance with the arrangements for provisional posts set out in the primary staffing arrangements.

The school submitted an appeal to the October meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board but the appeal was deemed ineligible as the school’s appeal did not meet the eligibility criteria for appeal. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

The primary staffing schedule is a long-standing feature of the primary allocation system which ensures fairness and transparency in the allocation of mainstream class teachers across our primary schools. It is an important feature of the primary schedule that staffing levels remain aligned with actual student numbers in schools. The staffing appeals process is in place to allow schools the opportunity to appeal their teacher allocation, ensuring fairness and consistency.

The major building project for Dun Laoghaire Educate Together National School will deliver a new 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special educational needs.

The project currently has planning permission and is, along with a number of other projects, being brought to the level of employer-led design with a Design Team assigned to do so under the supervision of the Department’s project manager.

The process of appointing the Design Team from the Department’s Frameworks of Consultants was completed in September 2023 and the project is currently close to completion of Stage 2(b) of the architectural design process. Stage 2(b) involves detailed design and the preparation of tender documentation.

The next stage, subject to relevant Stage 2(b) approvals, will be Stage 3 tender stage. It is anticipated that this project will go to tender in Q2 2025.