Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister indicated that the cost of reducing the pupil-teacher ratio by one point would be €18 million for this year. Based on demographic changes, I expect that the cost of reducing the pupil-teacher ratio by one point every year for the next five years will exceed the €90 million estimate provided by the Minister. The rise in student numbers will result in increased class sizes, which means we must take into account an increase in the student population and the additional classrooms and space that will be needed to achieve a five-point reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of a Government. To obtain the true figure we need information on the cost of new capital and the actual increase in student numbers based on demographic changes. The Minister's €90 million figure is not correct.

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