Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 2002

Vol. 553 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

John Perry

Ceist:

361 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the staffing situation in Leaffoney national school, Kilglass, County Sligo, which has a projected enrolment of 13 for September 2002; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that this is a school serving a Church of Ireland community for a wide area and that its ability to retain the school and its two teacher status is very important to maintaining such an ethos in the area; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that to lose the second post would be the beginning of the end of the school's existence in an area where there is no same denominational alternative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13563/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The staffing of a national school for a particular school year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. This is in accordance with an agreement on staffing entered into between the Government and the education partners. The enrolment of this school on 30 September, 2001 was 11 pupils which warrants a staffing of a principal teacher for the 2002-03 school year. As the agreed retention figure for the first mainstream class teacher is 12 pupils, I regret that there is no basis on which I may sanction a continuation of this post at Leaffoney national school for the 2002-03 school year. Should this school achieve a valid enrolment of 12 or more pupils by the 30 September 2002 the post of first mainstream class teacher will be restored to the school for the 2003-04 school year.