Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is clear from the figures released, particularly in larger growing urban areas where the PTR and the allocation of teachers lags a year behind, that there are severe issues. We need to give more attention to that separate matter because it is creating pressures. As the Minister for State will know, a series of meetings have been held across the country over the past two to four weeks in which teachers and parents have come together to emphasise the pressures in schools and the difficulties that the pupil-teacher ration is causing. Although the Minster of State is not in a position to indicate what might happen next week and I know that negotiations are ongoing, I urge him to do everything in his power to ensure that education is ring fenced in the upcoming budget because the primary school system in particular cannot take any more pressure than it is already under.

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