Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes. A number of us had a very good engagement last Thursday with the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO. Like their colleagues in the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, they made a very cogent and persuasive case for additional funding for national schools in particular. I was shocked to learn of the contrast between the subsidy per pupil at national school level and the subsidy per pupil at secondary school level. The latter is effectively double, which means that national schools are being asked to cope with the impossible in terms of budgets. Most of us already know this because we have to pay so-called voluntary contributions each year. I think it was Fergus Finlay who made the point last year that it would not take an awful lot to take that money off the table and make national schools truly affordable. In Limerick, in the urban centres in particular, there are 33 to 35 pupils per class, which is shocking. This is not good enough.

It would be timely if before we break up for the summer recess and before budget decisions are made, the Minister for Education and Skills would come to the House to discuss this issue, particularly how we can improve the pupil subsidy at national school level.