Vol. 467 No. 6
90 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education the teachers who are willing to teach in disadvantaged areas in view of the difficulties experienced by principals of national schools in disadvantaged areas in obtaining teachers from the panel. [13828/96]
Redeployment panels exist to ensure that permanent teachers whose posts have been suppressed may be redeployed. The rules governing the operation of the panel system require that a teacher to whom a written offer of a post is made must accept this offer unless s/he is currently serving in a school which is located more than 28 miles from the school in respect of which an offer is made, or unless the teacher has an exemption on the grounds of maternity.
Accordingly, a board of management with a fillable vacancy is required to make a written offer to a teacher, and allow the teacher seven days to respond.
A board of management which follows the procedures outlined above should not encounter great difficulty in filling a vacancy. The status of a school should not have any bearing on this matter.
