Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Last week, Deputy Brian Hayes indicated that implementing a pay freeze for teachers who earn over €50,000 would save €128 million a year. The proposal Deputy Kenny is now making is that such a pay freeze should apply to all public servants, but we work in partnership with public service unions. In fact, we want to work in partnership on this issue as well. Social partnership is not just about working together in good times, but also in bad times. It is also about implementing difficult decisions, some of which one would prefer were not necessary, but by reason of the economic circumstances in which we find ourselves are necessary.

The Minister of Education and Science has contended, and it is true, that there have been great improvements in the education system over many years in terms of both capital and current spending. Improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and in the numbers assisting teachers, who are there in their thousands as opposed to their hundreds, as was the case when we took office more than ten years ago.

Huge investment has been made, quite rightly, in education and that will continue next year and in the years thereafter. However, the investment cannot be at the levels of the recent past because of the situation in which we now find ourselves. One of the accommodations we must make relates to the pupil-teacher ratio, which will be increased by one at primary and post-primary level. The Minister has pointed out that, in net terms, he expects that to equate to 200 teachers at each level and he outlined to the House the basis for that expectation. In terms of the overall number of teaching posts, we are talking about less than 1% whereas other Departments have been asked to make payroll savings of 4% in order to deal with the situation.

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