John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Over the past number of weeks, many Senators will have received representations from and spoken to members of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, ahead of next week's budget. I did that consistently with people in my own hometown of Dundalk. I met one teacher who made to points that hit home. Her name is Muireann O’Keeffe and she teaches at a school in Ravensdale in north County Louth. The two points she made relate to the pupil-teacher ratio and to the real lack of availability of mental health supports for students.

In terms of the pupil-teacher ratio, when we look at it the European average is approximately 1:20. In this country, many classes contain 28, 29 or 30 pupils per teacher. Naturally, that makes it difficult for students to get the quality of learning that they can get during a class lasting 40 or 45 minutes. If we can reduce the pupil-teacher ratio to the optimum European average of 20, that would be incredible. It is easy to stand here and state that we should do this or that, but it will take substantial investment. The INTO is looking for approximately €20 million to deal with the pupil-teacher ratio. Although it may be difficult to do something, that is no reason to have a lack of ambition. We should aim to get pupil-teacher ratio down as low as possible and as close as possible to the European average. I hope the Minister will look at the matter in the context of next week's budget.

The second issue relates to mental health supports. Many teachers have to fill a gap in the context of the provision of mental health supports in primary and secondary schools. A large number of them are not qualified to do so. As a politician, I am visited by and deal with people in my office at home. I am not a qualified social worker, so I understand how certain teachers feel. One of the key things that the INTO and teachers are saying is that if there was a grant of €20 grant per pupil in the budget, the overall cost would €11 million. That would allow for on-site counselling. This is what teachers in my home of Dundalk and in County Louth - particularly Muireann O'Keeffe, with whom I had a detailed conversation - have been saying to me. I would like to see some action on this matter in next week's budget.