School Staffing.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2009

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Ceisteanna (448, 449)

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

472 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide an additional teacher as requested by a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [25620/09]

Ciaran Lynch

Ceist:

499 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of an application for a teacher under the developing school status in regard to a school (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25808/09]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 472 and 499 together.

The number of mainstream class teachers appropriate to a school for the 2009-10 school year is determined by reference to the school's valid enrolment on 30 September 2008, in accordance with the staffing schedule (Primary Circular 0002/2009) which is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie. The schedule is a transparent and clear way of ensuring that schools are treated consistently and fairly and know where they stand. Within the terms of the staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. Under these arrangements, a developing school post may be sanctioned provisionally where the projected enrolment on 30 September of the school year in question equals or exceeds a specified figure. If the specified figure is not achieved on 30 September, sanction for the post is withdrawn. The school referred to by the Deputy has applied for and been granted an additional mainstream post based on their projected enrolment for September 2009.