Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the most up-to-date figures regarding the number of children in primary classes of 25 to 29 children inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10763/07]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the most up-to-date figures regarding the number of children in primary classes of 30 to 34 children inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10764/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the most up-to-date figures regarding the number of children in primary classes of 35 to 39 children inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10765/07]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the most up-to-date figures regarding the number of children in primary classes (details supplied); if she will provide this information on a county basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10772/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 24, 59 and 105 together.

Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. We are already committed to hiring another 800 extra primary teachers next September. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc.

The latest figures in relation to the number of children in different class size groupings relate to the 2005/06 school year. In that year, 2,020 children were in classes of 0-9; 60,671 were in classes of 10-19; 105,797 were in classes of 20-24; 162,365 were in classes of 25-29; 101,223 were in classes of 30-34; 9,684 were in classes of 35-39; and 206 were in classes of 40 and over. I have a breakdown of these figures on a county basis and my officials will send this to the Deputies.

I'm sure you will be glad to know that the number of children in large classes has decreased significantly under this Government. There are 80,000 less children in classes of 30 or more, while the number of children in classes of 35 and over is just a fifth of the 1997 level.

As you'll be aware, all primary schools are staffed on a general rule of at least one classroom teacher for every 28 children. Of course, schools with only one or two teachers have much lower staffing ratios than that — with two teachers for just 12 pupils in some cases and so on — but the general rule is that there is at least one classroom teacher for every 28 children in the school. Next September this will reduce to 27 children per classroom teacher.

School authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment). In particular, school authorities should ensure that there is an equitable distribution of pupils in mainstream classes and that the differential between the largest and smallest classes is kept to a minimum.

A further initiative that has been of direct benefit to primary schools has been the change in the criteria for developing schools. For the current school year the threshold for getting a developing school post was reduced specifically to help schools that are seeing large increases in enrolments each year. Over 280 such posts were sanctioned in the 2006/07 school year compared to 170 in 2005/06.

The improvements we have made in school staffing in recent years are absolutely unparalleled. I assure the Deputy that we will continue to prioritise further improvements going forward. We will also continue our focus on measures to improve the quality of education in our primary schools to ensure that increased resources lead to better outcomes for our children.