Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My first day in the House was budget day and I saw a beautiful document about the extra teachers to be employed around the country. The previous Minister increased the pupil-teacher ratio and some schools have lost teachers. To clarify the situation, is the Minister saying the teachers who were lost as a result of the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio will not be replaced? Are these 1,700 teachers to cater for the increase in the number of children going to school and for retirements and not specifically intended to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio?

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