Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

In its programme for Government set out in 2002, this Government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats gave an undertaking that no child under the age of nine would be in a class of more than 20 pupils by the end of this Government's lifetime. There are only eight or nine months left in the lifetime of the Government, and it is unfortunate that the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, has dismissed and disowned the undertaking as an aspirational statement.

It is very worrying for many parents who have never before seen such numbers at the intake to primary level. Some 33% of these pupils are now in classes of 25 pupils and upwards. Some are in classes of up to 40 pupils. It is no wonder that the public is in despair with regard to promises and undertakings given by Government.

Oddly, of the 15,000 students at primary level in the Minister's own constituency, nearly 12,000 are in class sizes of 25 or more. During the summer we noticed the Minister dancing around with pupils on the joyous occasions when exam results came out. It is time that she took in hand this very serious problem. Everybody in the House is conscious that if we fail students at a very early age, we fail them for life.

There has been no commitment whatever. We have spoken about surplus resources which exist, and some people do not want those. We then get a clear indication that this Government is not serious about solving this particular problem.