Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in Kildare schools in line with the national average. [12792/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class size of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of 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. 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. Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level in recent years. The ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in the 2003-04 school year. 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 and those from disadvantaged areas.