08/07/2010

Schools Allowed To Fill 'Some Vacancies'

Primary and Post-Primary Schools with significant level of vacancies are to be allowed to fill promotion posts

However, the general moratorium on filling promotion posts in schools must continue, according to the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan.

She announced hat she had agreed with the Minister for Finance arrangements for a limited derogation from the general moratorium on the filling of promotion posts in schools.

"The impact of the moratorium is uneven across schools," she said.

"For some schools, between this year and the coming school year, the level of retirements will create a significant number of vacancies.

"The changes that I am now making will allow those schools to fill a limited number of vacancies while the overall number of promotion positions continues to reduce," said the Tánaiste.

"Second level schools will be able to make appointments to vacant Assistant Principal posts where the overall number of posts in a school falls below a certain minimum.

"The new arrangements will also cover situations where schools have certain vacancies relating to the co-ordination of the delivery of such programmes as Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme," confirmed the Tánaiste.

The Tánaiste announced that there would also be a limited derogation in the case of primary schools whereby the larger primary schools with Assistant Principal vacancies will be able to apply to her Department for approval to make appointments.

The Tánaiste pointed out that, in terms of the public sector wide moratorium on filling vacancies in order to bring overall public service pay costs to a sustainable level, the Government had already made a number of significant exceptions in relation to the staffing of schools.

"The measures being announced today provide a measured and balanced response to the manner in which the moratorium has impacted unevenly on schools.

"The moratorium will continue to apply as the position whereby over 50% of all teachers have promotion allowances is simply not sustainable," concluded the Tánaiste.

(BMcC/GK)

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