Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

There was a commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the primary school pupil-teacher ratio to under 20:1 in accordance with international best practice. Everyone is aware that at present 100,000 pupils are in classes of over 30 or more and that 584 are in classes of 40 or more. It appears the Minister has reneged on the commitment to which I referred because at the weekend she referred to it as a "noble aspiration". Perhaps the Leader might ask her to clarify the difference between the two. The Minister stated there might not be sufficient teachers to achieve the intended ratio by 2007. The INTO refuted her remarks and stated there are sufficient teachers available.

Perhaps the Leader might also seek clarification from the Minister in respect of the position vis-À-vis special needs assistants. The Minister recently announced that 350 additional special needs assistants will be appointed, which is a welcome development. All Members must be frustrated by the fact that the Department of Education and Science is not in a position to respond to requests made on behalf of concerned parents about special needs assistants for their children. It is incumbent on the Department to clarify the current position in order to remove the uncertainty being experienced by pupils and their families. The appointment of 350 additional special needs assistants is worthwhile but I understand from the Department that thousands of them will be required to cope with the demand. It will be interesting to discover the reaction of the Minister for Education and Science in respect of both of these matters.