Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

recognises the major improvements that have been made to staffing levels in primary schools over recent years, including:

over 2,000 extra teachers being provided in primary schools for 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years;

the increase in primary teacher numbers since 2002 of over 6,000 bringing the current total to over 30,000 primary teachers;

the reduction in class sizes for the current school year to a general rule of 1 teacher for 27 pupils;

average class sizes of just over 24 pupils;

substantially lower class sizes for primary schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage;

a pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools of 16.4 to 1; and

€4.6 billion, €380 million extra, provided in 2008 for teachers' pay and pensions;

notes that it is the policy of the Government to continue to make progress on reducing class size in the context of the programme for Government.

I will share time with Deputy John Cregan.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I am glad they did not give me a chance to redden the seat at the Department of Education and Science. I hope the transfer Deputy Sheehan has in mind for me at this early stage is not realised.

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