Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 March 2012
117 Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of primary and secondary schools in County Cork that have been notified that they will lose a teaching position or part of a teaching position from September 2012; the schools involved and the positions to be lost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17102/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTeacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. My Department has published the staffing arrangements at primary and post primary level for the coming school year, 2012/13. The relevant circulars, Primary 0007/2012 and Post Primary 0009/2012 are available on my Department's website. At post primary level and in accordance with existing arrangements, where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department considers applications for additional short term support, i.e., curricular concessions. The allocation processes at both primary and post primary level also include an appeals mechanism under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The appeal procedures are set out in the circulars referred to above. For the coming school year the existing staffing appeals criteria have been extended to enable some limited phasing arrangements for schools where the combination of budget and reform measures impact on a particularly adverse manner on a school's overall allocation. The Appeal Boards operate independently of the Department and their decisions are final. The final staffing position for all schools at primary and post primary level will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed and any appeals to the Staffing Appeal Boards will have been considered.
