1243. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will commit to ensuring the developing teacher post remains allocated for a school (details supplied) given the school’s unique circumstances and to avoid an increased pupil to teacher ratio at a time when lower ratios are intended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56487/26]

The primary factor in determining the level of staffing resources allocated to an individual school is the applicable staffing schedule for the relevant school year, together with pupil enrolment as recorded on the preceding 30 September.

The staffing schedule operates as a standardised allocation mechanism, using enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts assigned to each school.

At primary level, the staffing schedule plays a central role in supporting the sustainability of schools by aligning staffing resources with enrolment patterns in a clear, consistent, and equitable manner, ensuring that schools of a similar type are treated uniformly, irrespective of location.

The staffing arrangements include a projected enrolment process, whereby schools experiencing significant increase in enrolment may apply for additional mainstream staffing. An additional classroom teacher is allocated on a provisional basis, pending confirmation that the school reaches the required enrolment on the 30 September. The school in question has provisionally been granted a teaching post in respect of its stated projected enrolment of 156 pupils for September 2026. An enrolment of 141 pupils is the minimum requirement to retain this post for the 2026/27 school year.