Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The Minister is lucky to have the teachers doing the job in Ireland today for the Government. The Government takes credit and lives in the reflected glory of the extraordinary good work done by teachers. That is a fact. Time and again the question is asked whether people are ready to change. I do not have time to state all I would like on what teachers have done. I know the Minister supports that. The recent movement towards the publication of school reports is a major step forward and teachers deserve credit for risking it. It is a good move so long as it is used positively. It will be a protection for teachers and will show them in the best light if no one plays ducks and drakes with it. We should recognise that fact.

We should also recognise that teachers have implemented a revised curriculum during the past number of years at lower cost to the State than in any other European country. That is value for money, an argument always applied to teaching and education. Everybody in this country can be proud of that fact.

Schools do their very best to deal with "newcomer" children of other nationalities, people who come to this country unaware of our culture and try to settle in. That has put pressures on schools and they are trying to cope. The INTO made it extremely clear to me that teachers are not managing. They do their best but they are not able to cope with the pressure. Will the Minister examine that issue?

Regarding class sizes, I will state the first part of the Minister's speech. The Minister has provided a great number of extra primary school teachers. No one will deny that and I acknowledge it with my first statement. It is positive and in terms of additional teachers, it is superb. However, a clear commitment creating expectations was given at the last election and it has not been delivered. I accept that it cannot be done tomorrow morning. However, I want the Minister to state here that she intends to get there.

I remember listening to the Minister state that she will not give commitments beyond the next election. Come on, Minister. Let the Minister's leader hear her state that. I dare the Minister to state that in front of Bertie. There is no way she would do so.