Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. It would need a substantial decision that this was a policy priority within the education budget. That has been the approach for a considerable number of years. I suppose we are trying to keep pace with curriculum pressures, pressures to provide resource teachers, pressures to look at class size, etc. In any given period, one is looking at how to share out the available funding in the best way within the education system. Over a long period, this has not been the top priority. We have been more focused on the immediate impact on pupils, in terms of teaching and access to teachers, curriculum, buildings, etc.