Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

We have promised and continue to pursue the commitment to reduce class sizes. The average class size in primary schools has now gone down to just under 24. It was previously over 27. This is the smallest class size in our history. We are determined to lower class sizes even further to below the international best practice figure of 20.

In recent years we have invested resources in special needs and education for the disadvantaged. Deputy Rabbitte would accept that all areas are not equal. This is an issue about which I feel strongly and have spoken on several times. It is not simply a case of dividing the number of teachers by the number of children in the population. That is flawed thinking. I accept that we should aim to achieve the international best practice target in all schools. However, focusing on schools in disadvantaged and marginalised areas, which have high levels of unemployment or social disadvantage, where we have to implement active programmes, including pre-school and after-school care, breakfast clubs and school lunches to attract children and help them, is a better system than looking at the global issue. In the area of special needs, class size is 1:15 and 1:20, which is as it should be. It would be sad if we were simply to reduce class sizes to 22 or 23 everywhere. It is preferable that we try to target resources. This year the number of special needs teachers has reached 4,000. Class size is already at or below the target for the areas that really need it, those which have been designated as priority areas.

I am happy to talk about Kildare where €85 million has been provided for major school building and modernisation projects in the past five years. We have invested significant sums of money in NUI Maynooth where student numbers have increased dramatically. We have also invested significant resources in other areas of education in County Kildare and in County Meath.

In reply to Deputy Rabbitte's question, international best practice is a class size of 20 and we are reducing it. I think Deputy Rabbitte would agree with the point that it is far better that we target resources and get lower class sizes, which we have done, in disadvantaged and marginalised areas.

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