School Staffing

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2010

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Ceisteanna (424)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

456 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm that a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 has lost two of its mainstream teachers, that the retention figure for nine teachers was 232, that this was its enrolment on 1 September 2009 (details supplied) but that when statistics were returned to her Department on 30 September 2009 its enrolment was just one short; if she will further confirm that it subsequently enrolled two new pupils; if she will investigate this case with a view to carrying out an immediate review of circumstances surrounding this decision that has left this particular school with classes of 33 and 32 pupils. [26264/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan)

The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level for the coming school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2009. The staffing schedule for the 2010/11 school year was published by my Department in March, 2010. The additional posts in the renewed Programme for Government enabled some improvement to be made to the staffing schedule. It is open to any Board of Management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board. Details of the criteria for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0021/2010 which is available on my Department's website.

I understand that the school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeal Board which was considered by the Board at its meeting on 25 May 2010. The Board decided that a departure from the staffing schedule was not warranted in this case and the school has been notified in this regard. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.