Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2015
355. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the status of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16303/15]
View answerThe staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department's website at www.education.gov.ie.
The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16 school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved appointment and retention thresholds for isolated one-teacher schools. The Deputy will be aware that the school to which he refers is not in the same position as other island schools that are only accessible by boat or by helicopter/aeroplane. The particular staffing arrangements for island schools that are set out in the published Department Circular 0005/2015 are designed to reflect the isolated nature of an island school that is only accessible by boat or by helicopter/aeroplane and the operational and practical difficulties that this can create for the school and, in particular, the availability of teaching staff. These circumstances do not apply to the school referred to by the Deputy. In the current school year this school has an enrolment of 58 pupils and has 3 classroom teachers (including the Teaching Principal). The number of classroom teachers is not due to change for the 2015/16 school year. The school is also the base for a shared GAM/EAL (learning/language) support post with a school on the mainland.
