Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

346 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on whether subsequent appointments to positions should be reviewed where selection boards are wrongly constituted and at variance with the selection procedures (details supplied). [12633/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I do not propose to review the appointments referred to by the Deputy.

Section 12 (1) of the Dublin Institute of Technology Act, 1992, provides:

(a)the Institute may appoint such and so many persons to be its officers (in addition to the President and the Directors) and servants as, subject to the approval of the Minister given with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance, the Governing Body from time to time thinks proper.

(b)the selection of such officers and servants shall be a function of the Institute in accordance with the procedures which may be determined by the Minister from time to time.

(c)in the case of academic appointments such procedures shall provide that the selection board shall consist mainly of appropriately qualified academics and shall include the President or a Director of the Institute.

In accordance with the terms of section 12(1)(b), my Department issued selection procedures for the appointment of staff to the Dublin Institute of Technology – Dublin Institute of Technology – in September 1993 and March 1994. However, from time to time my Department has permitted variations to those procedures to take account of particular difficulties experienced by the Dublin Institute of Technology in convening selection boards. Those variations were only approved as an exceptional matter, in specific cases, and for a limited period. My Department has requested the Dublin Institute of Technology to ensure that in future selection boards in the area in question are constituted in accordance with the approved procedures and the Dublin Institute of Technology has agreed to do this.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

347 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will appoint resource teachers to Scoil San Carlos junior school, Leixlip, County Kildare; if his attention has been drawn to the requirements of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12654/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently sanctioned the allocation of a resource teacher to the school in question.