Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland has the largest primary school class sizes in the EU; the measures she is taking to address the recruitment and retention crisis in primary school teaching; if she will provide for 1,000 more primary teachers in budget 2027 to allow more individual attention, more effective teaching, and stronger support for pupils with additional needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54457/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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This Government is committed to improving staffing levels in primary schools and supporting the recruitment and retention of teachers. According to the latest published data from November 2025, there were more than 97% of allocated primary teaching posts filled. Teacher numbers at primary level have increased by almost 6,000 since 2019 and now stand at the highest level ever recorded at over 43,400.

The Government is investing a record €14.1 billion in education and schools through budget 2026. This record level of investment has enabled significant progress in tackling educational disadvantage and supporting children and young people with special educational needs to achieve their full potential. Funding has been provided for 860 additional special education teachers across special schools and mainstream settings, together with more than 1,700 additional special needs assistants.

Budget 2026 also includes an additional €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS strategy and the DEIS plus scheme. That provides more teaching positions and more staffing and supports for schools as well. That DEIS programme will benefit approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS plus schools as well as one in four children across schools in the DES programme.

Under the programme for Government, there is a commitment to reduce the general primary pupil-teacher ratio to 19:1 over the lifetime of the Government and to introduce targeted measures for schools with very large class sizes. This builds on substantial progress already made. The primary staffing schedule has improved from an average allocation ratio of 26:1, five years ago, to 23:1 for the current school year, which is the lowest ever at primary level. Average class sizes have fallen from 24.1 to 22.2 pupils, while the overall pupil-teacher ratio improved from 15:1 in 2019-2020 to 12.8:1 in 2023-2024, which is comparing favourably with the OECD average levels.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. She said from November that 97% of posts were filled. In real terms at the same time, 996 teaching posts were unfilled, which is almost 1,000. Figures as recent as last week tell us that over 39,000 primary school students were in classes of 30 pupils or more in the past school year. A figure of 36,805 were in classes of 30 to 34 pupils and 2,237 were in classes of between 35 and 39 pupils. That is simply incredible in 2026 in Ireland and it has a direct impact on the type of attention children can get in the classroom. It is as simple as that. It is also contributing to the burnout for teachers.

I did not hear the answer in her initial response and maybe the Minister will provide it in her next response. Is it her ambition to move on the pupil-teacher ratio in this budget cycle and will she provide for 1,000 primary school teachers?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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It is an absolute commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy will appreciate I cannot announce anything here in the Dáil. I have to go into negotiations in relation to the upcoming budget.

In the past ten years there has been a five-point improvement to the primary staffing schedule. In 2015, teachers were allocated to primary schools at a general average of 28 pupils for every one teacher. This is now reduced to 23:1.

Lower thresholds are in place for DEIS urban band 1. That includes DEIS plus schools. We have 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. A three-point reduction in retention thresholds assists schools in retaining existing staff. As the Deputy knows, there are over 43,000 teachers employed in our primary schools. This is an increase of over 9,000 teachers at primary level in ten years. I understand the importance of ensuring that every child gets access to their special education teacher and all of the supports required. That is obviously ongoing work with me and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, in the context of this upcoming budget. I hope to put in place more measures to support our schools right across the education sector.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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It is a statement of fact that in recent years we have seen a reduced number of classroom teachers. Budget 2026 led to the removal of 498 classroom teachers, a net reduction of 381 when one looks at the gains. The year 2025-26 saw a reduction of 290 and 2024-25 a reduction of 237. That has a real impact.

I can give the example of Lismullen National School. I hope to correspond with the Minister directly in relation to Lismullen National School, if she is agreeable. Parents have written to me. Next year, there will be a class of 36 and parents, as the Minister would herself, are identifying the challenge that will present as regards the type of support that is going to be available for their children, the type of attention and schooling opportunity, and also for the teachers involved. I would appreciate the Minister considering this issue.

It is my ambition to have 1,000 extra primary school teachers and I will strongly be making the case for that in the Sinn Féin budget. I ask the Minister to do the same in her own negotiations.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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There is a number of issues here, such as the staffing appeals criteria. The numbers going into primary schools are reducing and our population bulge is in post-primary. That is a reality of the way trends are going. There is a staffing appeals circular, set out in Circular 0025/2026, and it includes specific appeals for small-school enrolments in the previous October, involving projected enrolments, accommodation difficulties and where there may be language support. The primary staffing appeals board operates independently of myself and the Department.

Mainstream appeals posts are allocated provisionally on the basis of the school achieving the required appointment and retention figures in the coming September rather than the previous September. The appeals board considers the circumstances of the school in deciding if a teaching post is warranted a year ahead of the normal staffing arrangements. The appeals board held meetings in May and June and it will meet again in October. Schools will be notified of the closing date for applications to appeals boards in early September but I take the Deputy's overall point in regard to the pupil-teacher ratio.