Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

Out of 27 OECD countries, we have the fourth worst pupil-teacher ratio. This has been going on for the past six years. The Government came in with a proposal to reduce it below 20 in 2002 for children under the age of nine. It introduced something that was not great but at least gave an incremental reduction of one per year between 2007 and 2012. What has the Government done here? It has reneged on its commitment, which it needs to honour.

I will be looking for the Fianna Fáil backbenchers and Ministers to come with us on this. This is above politics; it is about the future of our children and Ireland. The issue here is about the retention of that extra teacher. Shame on the Government.

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