Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2023
304. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 257 of 26 January 2023, if there are any plans to include counties Leitrim and or Sligo in the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme in the next possible slot, given that the scheme has not been deployed in either of counties Leitrim or Sligo since 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5335/23]
View answerThe core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties.
The teacher redeployment arrangements are reviewed annually by my Department involving the education stakeholders, including teacher unions and management bodies. As part of the review, the Education Stakeholders can raise issues or concerns with the Department in relation to the operation of the redeployment process generally. It is open to members of the school community to liaise with their representative bodies on any matters of concern they may have.
The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath for the 2023/24 school year. There will be a chance for further counties to be included in the following year's redeployment process and these will be determined following the 2023/24 review. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year is available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
