Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline her plans to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio in primary schools to 19:1, as per the programme for Government commitment, and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54419/26]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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What does the Government intend to do to meet the programme for Government commitment to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in our schools to 19:1?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is investing a record €14.1 billion into education and schools through budget 2026. This record level of investment has allowed the Government to invest in tackling educational disadvantage and supporting those with special educational needs to achieve their full potential. It has enabled huge investment in the school buildings programme, in curriculum reform, in school leadership and in continuous professional development for teachers.

Under the programme for Government, there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of this Government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes. This will build on the progress that has been made by the previous Government. The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.2 through the investment we are making in schools.

The Department’s primary staffing schedule is the key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level. This school year, the primary staffing schedule operates on a general average of 23 pupils to every one teacher, which is historically the lowest ever ratio of pupils to teachers at primary level. More favourable ratios are implemented for DEIS urban band 1 schools.

The numbers employed in our schools have now reached the highest ever level. Teacher numbers at primary level have increased by almost 6,000 between 2019 and 2025. This has led to a steady improvement in both the pupil-teacher ratio and in average class size statistics during this period. I am very conscious of the primary staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools. I am considering how best to make further progress as part of the annual budgetary process in reducing the primary pupil-teacher ratio in the context of that programme for Government implementation.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the work that was done by the previous Government in reducing the pupil-teacher ratio. Good work was done and, to be fair, in the last budget, good work was done in respect of the capitation grants to schools and that needs to be recognised. It was a huge issue this time last year, particularly at the Oireachtas education committee. The pupil-teacher ratio is key and we have committed very clearly to 19:1 by the end of this Government. I will highlight some data that has come out of the Department in recent days. A total of 39,000 students in the country were in classes of over 30 students for the 2025-2026 academic year. One school in particular in Tipperary - St. Peter and Paul's CBS in Clonmel - actually had 38 students in one class in the academic year just gone, which realistically is twice what the programme for Government says it wants class sizes to be, so I reiterate that very important call for the reduction to 19:1 over the course of this Government.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Where we can, we give guidance and I know schools are very well aware of this. They do this well themselves so that where possible, the more junior classes would have a lower class size. Where there are higher numbers in some classes in many schools, one will find other classes within the school that would have lower numbers to accommodate for that earlier, so that the junior classes would have lower class sizes where possible but I hear the concerns highlighted by the Deputy.

I am very aware of our commitment in the programme for Government on this. Prior to 2016, teachers were allocated to primary schools at a general average of 28 pupils for every one teacher. In budget 2016, we improved that ratio by one point at 27:1. In budget 2018, we further improved it by one point to 26:1 and in 2021, we improved it by a further point to 25:1. In addition, there has been a three-point reduction in the retention schedule and that schedule assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts, so this measure helps to better ensure teacher retention in primary schools while also ensuring that fewer pupils are required to retain or to recruit a teacher.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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The ask from this budget from the INTO is very important - 1,000 additional teachers - to help us reduce class sizes for every child to give him or her more attention, to support inclusive education, to meet growing pupil needs, to ease the workload pressure and potential burnout for teachers facing those very high numbers within the classroom and to bring stability to school and strengthen leadership. Coming from a rural constituency, I acknowledge a lot of those rural schools that are struggling at the moment to maintain their two, three or four teachers because they are always faced with the threat of losing one because they are just barely over the number at the moment. Those additional teachers will help with that. We need to fill the posts that are there, of course. However, hiring those additional 1,000 teachers will certainly help with our key commitment. It has been done step by step but this year's budget will be very important step towards that key figure of 19:1.

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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We have more favourable ratios as part of our DEIS urban band 1 schools. The Deputy heard me announce the DEIS schools earlier this year, so there are measures for children and students who are most at risk of educational disadvantage. We have been reducing the pupil-teacher ratio incrementally over the years and that is something I want to continue over the lifetime of this Government but, as the Deputy can appreciate, I cannot go into detail on any budgetary decisions because I have yet to have my meetings with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. I have to look at the whole of the education budget, making sure that we are supporting children with educational needs, reducing the burden on our leadership teams within our schools, because I hear those concerns around burnout very clearly, and looking at ways of listening to the stakeholders on what we could do to ease the pressure on our schools so they can focus more on teaching and learning, which is what they are all there to do, notwithstanding the administrative necessities required in our schools.