Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I fervently believe, and have done for a long time, that before we ask whether the ratio should be 10:1, 20:1 or 30:1, or whether the class size is 25 on average, we should have a debate on other issues such as the built environment and the quality of the environment in which teachers teach.

Let us not get away from the reality that we are in the middle of the largest, most sustained period of building in education that this State has ever seen. The subject of class sizes has a part to play in that, but it cannot be divorced from the fact that enormous resources are now being pumped into education. We cannot divorce the motion from the issue of special needs education. Parents and teachers in my area tell me they want the issue of extra resources, teachers and special needs assistants to be put ahead of class sizes. They say the ideal world would have unlimited school and classroom sizes. However, politics is about priorities and directing our resources in the correct way. Teachers are telling me that is where they would like resources to be prioritised. For that reason, I fully support the Minister's focus on that area.

The motion is fine, but it is far too narrowly focused. It does not take into account——

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