Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:415. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the position of a special needs teacher (details supplied) in County Kerry. [38277/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 18 September 2012
Ceisteanna (415, 424)
Michael McGrath
Ceist:424. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of the way the teaching panel system works, including details of the eligibility criteria for teachers who wish to join the panel, whereby permanent teaching vacancies are filled from the panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38343/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 424 together.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from panels set up of eligible fixed-term (temporary), substitute and part-time teachers. For the 2012/13 school year there were close to 1,700 such teachers on these panels. The detailed arrangements for panel access for fixed term (temporary), substitute and part-time teachers are set out in Department Circular 0012/2012 which is available on my Department's website.