Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

In terms of the untruth then, in 2007 the Members opposite promised the staffing schedule would go from 27:1 to 24:1 in the first three years of this Government. What has happened? From 1 September next year we will have 400 fewer teachers in our schools. Class size is the second worst in the EU and we are behind a range of eastern European country which went through the communist era. It is some achievement for the republican party opposite.

On 1 September next year we will have the worst class sizes in Europe. We have a responsibility to the young people in the system and to their parents to do the best we can. We cannot do this with a class of more than 30 children where the range of issues which apply must be dealt with. We need clarity from the Government.

When Deputy Mary O'Rourke as Minister for Education in the 1980s introduced the famous circular that led to public demonstrations, it was never enforced.

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