Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2015
556. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to the re-instatement of a secondary school teacher at a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24947/15]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools are 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 school referred to by the Deputy had an enrolment of 3 pupils on 30th September 2014. The school is projecting an enrolment of 8 pupils for this coming September.The staffing arrangements for the 2015/16 school year provides improvement to the staffing levels of small schools. Improved appointment and retention thresholds for isolated one-teacher schools have been introduced for the 2015/16 school year. Where previously this school would have required an enrolment of 20 pupils in order to appoint a second teacher, this has now been reduced to 15 pupils.
An appeals process is available to small schools in the event that they can show that their projected enrolments are sufficient to allow them to retain their classroom teacher in the longer term. Circular 0005/2015 provides the criteria under which schools can make an appeal. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
