Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2015
903. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Donegal can be released from a cluster; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20615/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to primary schools is published annually on the Department website. The staffing arrangements for the coming school year 2015/16 are set out in Circular 0005/2015 which is available on the website.
My Department introduced reforms to the teacher allocation process for resource hours in recent years which included the allocation of a network of permanent posts in base schools to cater for NCSE approved resource hours for individual pupils in schools. This network of base posts is designed to make the system work more smoothly at school level. 83% of all NCSE approved resource teaching hours in the 2014/15 school year were allocated to schools that had permanent resource base posts. There will be no changes to the location of permanent resource base posts for the 2015/16 school year.
Schools with a resource base post are required to co-operate with their neighbouring schools to ensure that any surplus capacity in the (25 hour) resource post(s) is made available to neighbouring schools to meet their NCSE approved resource hour requirements.
Schools that do not have a resource base post are required to check for available surplus capacity in base posts in neighbouring schools before making an application to the Department's Primary Teacher Allocations Section.
Where a school that does not have a base post has been approved for 25 or more NCSE approved hours, a temporary post will be sanctioned for the 2015/16 school year.
Where a school has less than 25 hours that cannot be met from other schools, sanction will be given for part time hours.
When the allocations and redeployment process for surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is completed later in the summer, schools that have complied with the published staffing arrangements will be given some discretion to operate, where possible, their own temporary local arrangements in relation to the day to day work arrangements of teachers in full-time shared posts. These arrangements are aimed at minimising any time lost in travelling between schools.
