Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 November 2008
261 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 4 November 2008, the effect Budget 2009 will have on class sizes in each of the schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40096/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra262 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 503 of 4 November 2008, the effect Budget 2009 will have on teacher numbers in each of the schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40097/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.
The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared.
Prudent management of the Government finances is particularly important at this time of global economic uncertainty when tax revenue has fallen so significantly and when world economic conditions are so serious. Even with the Budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.
The Government's commitment to education is clear both from its track record over the past decade in providing substantial additional resources, most notably extra teachers to meet previously unmet needs and from the programme the Government set for itself when it came into office. A lot has changed in the past year and the first and foremost imperative is that we stabilise the public finances. It is only by doing so that we can shelter gains made and put ourselves in the position of being able to make improvements in the future. What we are doing in primary schools from September next is staffing them on the same basis as they were staffed just over one school year ago.
As I already stated, in terms of the position in respect of any one school for September 2009, schools are currently returning data to my Department in relation to their enrolment as of 30 September last. My Department has commenced processing this data although all schools have not yet made their returns. The allocation process including notification to schools will commence early in the New Year. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The final allocation to a school is also a function of the operation of the redeployment panels which provide for the retention of a teacher in an existing school if a new post is not available within the agreed terms of the scheme.
