Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 1991

Vol. 409 No. 9

Written Answers. - Teacher Panel Appointments.

Madeleine Taylor-Quinn

Question:

147 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for Education if, in relation to Circular 15/91, she will outline the position (a) in the case where the board should decide not to appoint the choice of assessors if the decision of the school patron will have to be followed or whether the board members can point out that the patron cannot insist on the interviews being held, (b) in the case when the board decide not to make any appointment from the panel, she will outline the person who is empowered in the circumstances to make an appointment from the panel and (c) in the case where the only teacher on the panel is outside the 45 km limit, she will outline whether this teacher should be offered the post before any attempt is made to make a non-panel appointment.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

The position is that boards of management having fillable vacancies from September 1991 must fill these posts from the appropriate panel. A panel teacher must accept the first offer he/she receives after 15 May 1991, unless an exemption can be claimed by the teacher on the grounds of maternity or that the 45 km limit, from school to school, is exceeded. Failure to accept the offer will result in the teacher's name being removed from the panel and withdrawal of salary.

When making a panel appointment, a board of management may select any teacher listed on the panel and make him/her a firm offer in writing. If a teacher refuses an offer made after 15 May 1991, or does not reply within seven days, the board of management should inform my Department. No further action should be taken by the board pending contact by my Department.

An appointment from outside the panel can only be sanctioned where the appropriate panel is clear, or where the teachers remaining on the panel have refused an offer on the grounds that one of the exemptions previously referred to applies.

If the only teacher remaining on the panel is outside the 45 km limit, the board of management should make a firm offer to the teacher who if he/she wishes may claim their exemption or indeed accept the offer. It is not open to the board of management to refuse to offer a post to a teacher on the grounds of distance.