Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
770. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing all teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with special classes to administrative status. [31162/21]
View answer771. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with one special class; and the number of teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with two or more special classes. [31163/21]
View answer772. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing all teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with two or more special classes to administrative status. [31164/21]
View answer773. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of changing teaching principals of mainstream primary schools with one special class to a job share leadership arrangement. [31165/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 770 to 773, inclusive, together.
The criteria for the appointment of an administrative principal to schools, which are enrolment based, are set out in Appendix B of the annual staffing circular.
Schools operating two Autism special classes have a reduced enrolment requirement for the appointment of an Administrative Principal.
Currently, 86 schools with teaching principals have one special class and 25 schools with teaching principals have two or more special classes. The provision of an additional teaching post to schools with one special class to allow for administrative status would cost approximately €4.17 million. The cost of providing administrative status to Teaching Principals with two or more special classes would cost in the region of €1.22 million, while allocating an Administrative Principal to every school with at least one special class would cost approximately €5.39 million.
