Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

The Minister mentioned how all Departments had their overall Estimates reduced. The 2011 provision for the Department of Education and Skills emerged relatively unscathed. Is the Minister committed to the maintenance of class sizes and the pupil-teacher ratio at their current levels and to the employment of primary and post-primary teachers to meet demographic needs? The Minister has only been in office for two weeks, but I assume he can give a clear commitment in respect of the necessary provision of classroom education and front line services.

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