Vol. 453 No. 7
92 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that six schools (details supplied) in the Dún Laoghaire area will lose posts at the end of the current school year due to the change in the pupil teacher ratio being introduced in 1995-96; the action, if any she proposes to take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9975/95]
Under new staffing arrangements for primary schools, teaching posts which would have been lost due to declining enrolments are being retained in the system. This will allow the pupil teacher ratio to be reduced from 23.4:1 in September 1994 to 22.9:1 in September 1995.
Notwithstanding these improvements, there will, of course, be a number of schools where teaching posts will no longer be warranted because of declining enrolments, as a result of which the teachers concerned will be redeployed under the panel arrangements.
The staffing of national schools for a particular year is determined by the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. The total enrolment in each of the schools on 30 September 1994 has, when compared with the previous year's enrolment, declined to the extent that a teaching post must be suppressed. All of the teachers in question have been given the option of having their names placed on the diocesan panel for redeployment, which will not take place before 1 September 1995.
