Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to welcome that and we are happy to work with the Minister. She inherited this situation. She has had successes. Opening up the schools has been a success. To a large degree, yesterday was a successful day for the Minister.

On the staffing schedule the Minister announced yesterday, involving a reduction in the pupil–teacher ratio to 25:1, which is welcome, will the arrangement apply to DEIS primary schools? They have a different staffing schedule. The worry we have is that if the arrangement does not apply, the senior end of a primary DEIS school will have the same staffing schedule as a mainstream school. I acknowledge it is beyond the scope of this question but perhaps the Minister could revert to me on whether the reduction in the pupil–teacher ratio will be passed on to DEIS schools, which have a separate staffing schedule. If not, there will be absolute equalisation between DEIS and non-DEIS primary schools at the senior end. The Minister will agree that this is not something we could support.

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