Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann, recognising:

—the right to primary education enshrined in Article 42 of the Constitution;

—the failure to adequately plan for population growth in certain parts of the country;

—the uncertainty regarding the availability of school places for hundreds of children next September;

—the thousands of children who are taught in prefabricated classrooms; and

—the failure of the Government to fulfil the commitment contained in An Agreed Programme for Government to reduce class sizes for children under 9 to below best international best practice of 20:1;

calls on the Government to:

—ensure that a place is provided for all children old enough to go to primary school next September;

—establish a proactive, forward planning role for the Department of Education and Science in the provision of schools and school extensions so that adequate provision is in place when needed;

—establish a primary school database; and

—set out a timetable for the implementation of their commitment to reduce class size to international best practice guidelines.

I wish to share time with Deputies Enright, Twomey and Burton.

See this speech in context