Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the pupil teacher ratio in two, three and four-teacher schools will be reduced prior to the commencement of the new school year in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3487/15]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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I ask the Minister for Education and Skills about the pupil-teacher ratio, especially in schools with two, three and four teachers. The numbers in three-teacher schools has increased over recent years from 48 to 56. Is there a plan in the next school year to change it?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My focus in budget 2015 was on obtaining the additional funding that was necessary to provide for demographic growth, as the Minister of State, Deputy English, said earlier. The last budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60 million during 2015.

This funding will be used to provide 1,700 additional teachers and SNAs for our schools as well as to fund prioritised reforms, such as implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategy, reform of junior cycle and the introduction of education focused pre-school inspections. It was not possible to secure also the funding which would have been required to change the staffing schedule for primary schools, including small schools.

Since becoming Minister each of the education partners I have met have indicated their own set of priorities. In the school sector, these priorities include school leadership, pay restoration, reductions in pupil-teacher ratios, increases to capitation and the restoration of ex-quota guidance counsellors in schools, which we dealt with earlier.

Outside of the schools sector, the list of demands includes funding of third level, investment in early years and investment in technology. It is not, and never will be, possible to satisfy all the demands of the education system at one time. However, I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers. In my discussions with the various stakeholders in education, I will seek to agree a set of priorities for such increased investment into the future.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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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?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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They are for the purposes the Deputy outlined. We have not made any changes for the current year in terms of what was done in previous years. That has been factored into the allocation of teachers. However, I am looking to the future in terms of what we might be able to do, including in regard to small schools and the pupil-teacher ratio. In the context of what was decided in the last budget, there was not a specific proposal in regard to the numbers of teachers allocated generally in terms of the pupil-teacher ratio but specifically for the schools about which the Deputy spoke.