Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This morning in my constituency, along with Deputy Crawford and local councillors, I visited Iorball Sionnaigh national school in Scotstown, County Monaghan. We witnessed no less than six classes with in excess of 30 pupils. In the pre-secondary year, in sixth class, we found 36 pupils. Does the Tánaiste recognise this is the reality which many of our young people, particularly in the primary school sector, contend with as they endeavour to learn in what we regard as a so-called knowledge economy?

Does the Tánaiste recognise that the single greatest difficulty that pupils and teachers will face in the coming academic year of 2005-06 is the unacceptably large numbers in classes? Is she aware that in this State we have the second highest average class size in the European Union? Does she recall that in the agreed programme between her party and Fianna Fáil in preparation for Government, she committed to reducing the class sizes to below the international best practice of 20:1, yet the current numbers are 24:1 and, as in the instance that I cited at the outset of my question, the reality in many classes in many schools is much higher? Did the Tánaiste get feedback on this from her own canvassers in Meath and north Kildare where the average in both counties runs well above the national average and is recorded at 26:1 and 27:1 respectively?

Will the Government act decisively to reduce the unacceptably high class sizes in real terms in the coming year? Will the Tánaiste commence the recruitment of additional teachers to alleviate the distress, particularly of teachers but also of pupils, arising from this situation? Is she aware that the INTO has indicated that there are in excess of 1,000 trained teachers available if the system will open its doors and accept them?

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