John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the establishment of the Cabinet committee. It will do important work and no doubt its work will complement that of the child poverty and well-being programme in the Department of the Taoiseach.

There has never been a greater awareness of the importance of well-being and wellness in enabling learning and educational progress. I have found in my professional experience that teachers are outstanding advocates for the well-being and welfare of children.

I would ask the Cabinet committee to prioritise the reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. The programme for Government sets out to reduce the ratio from the current 21:1 to 19:1. That would have a significant impact on school life and enable teachers to place greater focus on the well-being of children, particularly in the younger age groups where teachers play an important role in assessing children's well-being, welfare and educational ability. It is important the committee would focus on that area.

I echo the sentiments of my colleague, Deputy Crowe, on the DEIS programme. I welcome the initiative of a DEIS+ programme but we need to look at the assessment of schools for inclusion in the existing programme.

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