Alan M. Dukes
Ceist:59 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Education and Science the demographic dividend at primary and second levels based on the current school year's returns. [3627/99]
Written Answers. - Demographic Dividend.
The demographic dividend arising at primary level in the current school year has not yet been finally determined, but I anticipate that it will be roughly of the order of that for 1998. I can however assure the Deputy that, consistent with the Government's commitments the entire dividend arising will be retained within the primary school system.
On the post-primary side, subject specialisation, retirement patterns and limited redeployment capacity effectively ensure that there is no demographic dividend at this level in the current year. In the case of secondary schools which have on their staff over-quota permanent teachers, a ratio of 18:1 will be applied. The impact of this is that schools will be allowed to retain teachers who might have been placed on the redeployment panel.
Retention of the primary dividend, when combined with the 450 posts which this Government has already sanctioned for the education sector from the start of the 1999-2000 school year, will represent a very substantial investment in education. This is the largest increase in teacher numbers for many years.