Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
102 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if letters were sent by his Department during April or May 2004 to PLC colleges confirming that staffing levels for 2004 will be based on numbers enrolled on 30 September 2003; if this remains the position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16988/04]
View answerThe enrolment reports to which the Deputy refers, which were provided in the letters to schools and colleges from my Department's post-primary database section, reflect my Department's record of their enrolments at 30 September 2003. This letter is a standard one issued each year to confirm pupil returns as submitted by schools and VECs. While the letter states: "These numbers will form the basis for all per capita grant payments made to your school during the school year and for teacher allocation purposes...”, the reality, which is well known to schools, is that teacher allocations are issued from the teacher section as a separate matter entirely.
In the current academic year the enrolments on PLC courses in certain schools and colleges have exceeded the number of places approved by my Department. Teacher allocations for 2004-05 and capitation grants have been allocated on the basis of the approved number of places or the numbers enrolled. In the 2003-04 academic year nearly 28,700 places were approved by my Department. Officials from my Department have already had meetings with management representatives in the sector to hear their concerns. They have also received submissions from a number of VECs about their particular needs.
My Department is currently considering appeals from the VECs, schools and colleges for the recognition of the excess numbers enrolled for the purposes of teacher allocations and grants. A decision in the matter will be taken shortly in the light of the totality of demands for teaching resources across the system. I expect that additional justifiable needs identified in the examination being carried out by my Department will result in the provision of additional teaching resources. Separately, it has been reported that the excess PLC numbers have been approved in total for the purposes of capitation and teacher numbers. This is not correct.
