Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 February 2013
106. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a resource teacher in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10742/13]
View answer107. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools that will be adversely affected by the decision to suppress base posts in schools with two hours or more of surplus capacity which have not been utilised for resource hours approved by the National Council for Special Education on or before 31 December 2012, page 8 circular 13/2013; the reason this decision was not indicated to schools prior to the circular being published; the appeals procedure in place for schools who have the required hours for the school year 2013/14; and if he will ensure that base posts are restored swiftly in such cases. [10753/13]
View answer112. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10866/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 107, and 112 together.
85% of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours in the 2012/13 school year were allocated to schools that had resource base posts. There are some slight changes to the location of these base posts for the 2013/14 school year to further improve the efficiency of these arrangements. The schools that were affected by these changes were those where the posts were not fully utilised for NCSE approved resource hours or where the teacher in the post was predominantly based in a neighbouring school. The full criteria used is set out in the Department's Staffing Circular 0013/2013 which was recently published on the Department website. Base schools are required to co-operate with their neighbouring schools to ensure that any surplus capacity in the (25 hour) resource posts is made available to neighbouring schools to meet their NCSE approved resource hour requirements. If the surplus capacity is fully utilised there are standard arrangements in place for the relevant schools to contact the Department for part-time resource teaching posts.
