Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I commend my colleague, Deputy O'Sullivan, for the significant amount of work and energy she has committed to this issue over a long period. This is one of the greatest policy failures of the Government and the Labour Party motion deserves the support of all sides of the House. Members receive continuous representations on this issue at their clinics from parents and teachers. Time and again the Government parties trumpeted their commitment at the last general election to dramatically reduce class sizes. It was made clear in the programme for Government that they would be reduced, with a specific commitment that children under nine years would be taught in classrooms with 20 pupils or less in accordance with international best practice.

Almost three years on, class sizes in Ireland have continued to increase and are now the second highest in the European Union. The Government's pledge to reach a 20:1 pupil-teacher ratio for children under nine years was cynically and callously torn up by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, during a radio interview some months ago. We have learned all too often that the election promises of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats are easily made and easily broken.

The statistics in this area are alarming, as illustrated by the situation my constituency. Recent replies to parliamentary questions indicate there are 2,789 primary school pupils in classes of 30 or more in County Kerry. A further 9,063 pupils in the county are in classes of between 20 and 29. One must consider whether the 2,789 pupils in classes of 30 or more are getting the level of attention and education they deserve. This is not to question the dedication and abilities of teachers who are doing the best they can with limited resources in a restricted physical environment.

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