Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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184. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the staffing schedule for primary schools for the 2026/2027 school year to address the inequities in the appointment figures for certain categories of schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54257/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes. The Government remains committed to reducing class sizes and will consider how best to achieve this in the context of the annual budgetary process.

The primary staffing schedule is designed to operate in a clear and transparent way, ensuring that all schools are treated equally, regardless of their location. With over 3,000 primary schools across the country, it is essential that every school is treated fairly, and that this approach remains a key feature of the staffing process.

Priority was given in recent Budgets to reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. More favourable ratios are implemented for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. A three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.

While small schools have benefitted from the recent improvements in the staffing schedule, there are also specific staffing measures aimed at small schools.

Such measures include reduced enrolment thresholds where a school is 8km or more away from the nearest school of the same type of patronage/language of instruction and a specific staffing appeal criteria aimed at small schools which allows the school to appoint/retain a teacher on the basis of current enrolment rather than the previous 30 September. In addition, sole primary schools on our islands have a second classroom teacher allocated, regardless of enrolment.