Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the Fingal school model, on top of the interventions outlined, the Department has also entered into a cross-Government agreement with Fingal County Council to provide much-needed community facilities in tandem with schools.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on school planning projections of the Department, Fingal will identify and acquire appropriate sites where schools with enhanced sporting, community and arts facilities will be built to the benefit of both the school and the wider community. In practice, the local authority will identify the sites when adopting the local authority plans. The council will go on to acquire sufficient land as recommended by the Department, on which an appropriate sized school or schools for that local area can then be built.

With regard to staffing, at the beginning of the current year there were no fewer than 4,000 extra teachers in primary schools compared with four years ago. The average class size in primary schools is 24, and there is now one teacher for every 17 pupils at primary level.

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