Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 808: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the pupil-teacher ratio envisaged in the programme for Government with particular reference to the needs of individual schools throughout the country and County Kildare will be achieved; if present pupil/teacher ratios are unacceptable and amongst the worst in Europe; her plans to achieve specific objectives in early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9980/05]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 809: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the commitments in the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats An Agreed Programme for Government on primary school pupil-teacher ratio and class sizes will be fully implemented during the term of the Government. [9981/05].

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 903: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when An Agreed Programme for Government in relation to the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio in schools will be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10488/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 914: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to address the crisis in regard to class size in County Waterford primary schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10613/05]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 925: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress that has been made towards the commitment in the programme for Government 2002 to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in our schools, and over the succeeding five years to progressively introduce maximum class size guidelines to ensure that the average size of classes of children under nine years old will be below international best practice guidelines of 20:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10655/05]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1033: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she will take the required steps to reduce class sizes in primary schools in line with the commitment in the programme for Government (details supplied). [11252/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 808, 809, 903, 914, 925 and 1033 together.

The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school are greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. The Deputies should note that significant improvements have been made in this area in recent years. The average class size at primary level is now 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil-teacher ratio, which includes all the teachers in the school including resource teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in 2003-04. More than 4,000 additional teachers have been employed in our primary schools since 1997. These additional teaching posts have been used to reduce class sizes, to tackle educational disadvantage and to provide additional resources for children with special needs.

Significantly smaller class sizes have been introduced in disadvantaged schools involved in the giving children an even break-breaking the cycle programme, with approximately 47,700 pupils in 243 participating schools availing of reduced class sizes of either 15 or 20 pupils per class.

In line with Government policy, my Department will continue to provide further reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio within available resources and subject to spending priorities within the education sector. Priority will be given to pupils with special needs, those from disadvantaged areas and those in junior classes.