Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 April 2014
244. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the number of legacy posts which have been lost as a result of changes made in budget 2012; the years in which the posts were lost; the names of the schools which lost a legacy post together with the DEIS status of the school from which the post was lost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17719/14]
View answerBudget 2012 provided for the phased withdrawal of approximately 428 posts allocated to some schools under disadvantage programmes prior to the introduction of DEIS in 2005. These posts were in 173 DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 Schools, 163 post primary schools, 16 rural DEIS schools and 17 non DEIS schools.Due to conflicting reports of posts being lost in these schools, my Department produced a report on the impact of the withdrawal of these legacy posts from Band 1 and Band 2 Schools. Following the Government's decision of 21 February 2012 in the matter, a number of schools continued to retain disadvantaged legacy posts from previous disadvantage schemes on a year to year basis and only where warranted, based on the enrolment of the previous 30th September.
The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 2014/15 school year (Circular 0007/2014) were published in January of this year.
A range of factors contribute to determining the staffing requirement for individual schools including changes to enrolment and the reforms to the teacher allocation process introduced in 2012. As the teaching allocation to schools, including disadvantage legacy posts, are enrolment based, this determines whether schools gain or lose posts from year to year. The individual schemes such as Breaking the Cycle, Giving children an Even Break and the Disadvantage Areas Scheme no longer operate.
Some schools seemed to be under the impression that the Government decision of February 2012 in relation to legacy posts, implied that they would retain legacy posts, regardless of changes in enrolment. I wish to clarify that legacy posts are retained in schools from year to year, only where warranted, based on the enrolment of the previous 30th September.
I will arrange for the detailed information sought by the Deputy to be forwarded directly him.
