Fine Gael Senator for Galway West, Fidelma Healy Eames, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, of an appeals mechanism for small schools where retention numbers announced in Budget 2012 will cause the loss of a teacher. Minister Quinn was speaking in response to a question by Senator Healy Eames at the Oireachtas Committee on Education.

“This is a sensible move and I welcome the fact that schools will have the right to appeal any reductions in their complement of teachers arising from new retention numbers announced in Budget 2012. In making this facility available, the Minister is showing that he recognises that not all schools are the same and that the individual circumstances of each school need to be taken into account.

“I visited seven rural schools in Connemara within the last week including An Tuairin, Lettermore, Leitir Caladh, Tir an Fhia, Leitir Mullen, Carraroe NS and Leitir Mucu. I am concerned about the potential impact of increased retention numbers on small rural schools and will continue to work to get the best outcome in each case. I hope that any schools affected are cognisant of the availability of this appeals mechanism.”