Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
279. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) in County Cork has had its appeal for a fourth class teacher for the 2014-15 school year refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12804/14]
View answer381. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Limerick can retain all its teachers. [13870/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 381 together.
The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements for the coming school year 2014/15 are set out in Circular 0007/2014 which is available on the website.
As part of the Budget 2012 decisions, there is a phased increase in the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools with four teachers or less. The first phase of the budget measure took effect from September 2012. The final phase of the budget measure takes effect from September 2014.
An appeals process is available to small schools which have had their staff number reduced as a result of the budget measure. A school with four classroom teachers or less which is losing a teacher or failed to gain an additional teacher as a result of the Budget 2012 measure can submit an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. In this regard small schools will not lose their classroom post if they are projecting sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term.
The schools referred to by the Deputies submitted an appeal to the February, 2014 meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. Having considered the schools' applications in the context of the published grounds, the Board deemed the applications ineligible. The schools were notified accordingly. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
