Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach is right. I might well agree with him but all I am doing is pointing to the programme for Government that he agreed with the Progressive Democrats. The Taoiseach does not agree with it. He gave a clear commitment that he would bring class size below the international best practice guideline of 20:1 within five years. That was a Government agreement. Whether I agree with the Taoiseach's latest position is neither here nor there. I accept children these days are immensely bright but none of the primary school children in Kildare go to NUI Maynooth. That is two stages later. Why has the Government departed from that commitment? The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, described the programme for Government as a "noble aspiration" on Ursula Halligan's television programme, which I saw.

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