Update: Submissions from Primary School Authorities, 1st July 2015

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she has
received submissions from the various primary school authorities with specific
reference to achieving an equality on the provisions whereby an increase over
the present level or maintenance of the present level of teaching numbers may
be achieved with particular reference to smaller rural schools, some of which
find themselves disadvantaged by the current system; if her Department has
received specific recommendations in this regard from the Irish National
Teachers Organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2015/16 school year are
set out in Department Circular 0005/2015 which is available on my Department’s
website.
The circular sets out the improvements to the staffing schedule for the 2015/16
school year for small schools. These improvements are improved retention
thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also the improved
appointment and retention thresholds for isolated one-teacher schools. These
improvements particularly recognise the challenges faced by very small schools
that are more than 8km from the next nearest school of the same type.

These improvements in the Staffing Schedule for small schools are the only
changes that I am making to the staffing arrangements for primary schools for
the 2015/16 school year.