Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

There is no strategic sense to what is being proposed by the Minister. It will create greater class sizes or has the potential to create combined classes. Do we want to return to the practice of fourth and fifth classes being taught side by side, given that teachers find it difficult enough to teach one big class without having to teach two different curriculums at the same time?

The Minister will save €2 million by this measure. When one considers the size of his Department's budget, one must ask why he is creating such a major difficulty over €2 million. The cost of overcrowded classes is not measured in terms of €2 million or even in terms of bricks and mortar. I worked as an adult literacy organiser for 20 years. During that time I saw the cost involved for people later in life if primary education is not properly delivered. The true cost is far greater than the figure of €2 million. The cost involved when children are deprived of all types of opportunities and educational attainment, which the rest of us take for granted, is far greater than any sum of money.

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