46. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 37 of 19 June 2024, if her attention has been drawn to concerns of school principals regarding the 30 September cut-off point for teacher allocations for the following primary school year; if moving this deadline to the calendar year end has been considered to allow for fluctuation in registration numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27308/24]

Extending the reference date for enrolments to a later stage in the year would delay the timely notification of staffing to schools and the recruitment process that follows.  The current process ensures schools can fill vacancies in a timely manner ahead of the new school year and so provides certainty to the school system.

As advised, the staffing arrangements have in-built processes for schools experiencing increases in enrolment, through the projected enrolment post application and the staffing appeals process.