Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of job losses that will result if his plan to increase class sizes comes into effect; and if he will reverse this decision. [38209/08]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when he expects to reduce all class sizes in primary schools to a ratio of, at worst, 24 pupils to one teacher as promised in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38000/08]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason almost seven years after the programme for Government committed to achieve pupil teacher ratios of 20:1, this aim has not been achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38002/08]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of extra teachers to be employed in 2009 as part of the commitment to increase the number of primary teachers by 4,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38003/08]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason 20% of primary pupils are in classes of 30 pupils or more; his views on the failure to tackle large class sizes here; the measures he will take to ensure primary class sizes fall to a ratio of 20:1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38001/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 129, 130, 134 and 144 together.

As I made clear during the lengthy debate in the House last week the 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared.

Again let me re-iterate that prudent management of the Government finances is vital at this time of global economic uncertainty when tax revenue has fallen so significantly and when world economic conditions are so serious. Even with the Budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.

When the country was able to afford it we reduced the basis on which primary teachers are allocated to schools from being based on an average number of pupils per teacher from 35 pupils down to the current level of 27 pupils. The change to a new average of 28 pupils per teacher has to be viewed in that context. It means primary schools will be staffed exactly as they were during the 2006/2007 school year during which they operated well.

Since 1997 primary teacher numbers have increased by about 10,000 — about 7,000 of these teachers going into the system in the last six years alone. The continuation of this level of annual increase — of the order of 1,000 primary teachers each year — was just not sustainable for 2009 in the current economic climate. Although it reverses some of the progress that we have made in recent years I had no option but to curtail the annual increase in teacher numbers. While I appreciate this will impact on class sizes the reality is that it will not impact on every school rather the change will impact on the total number of teachers in some 10 to 15% of primary schools.

In relation to the number of teaching posts involved in this change I have already said that the net overall position is a reduction of about 200 posts from the primary teacher payroll next September compared to this September across all the staffing measures involving primary schools. This is calculated on the basis of a removal of up to 1,100 posts of which some 400 to 500 posts are expected to be due to the staffing schedule change specifically. This will be offset by the creation of 900 posts that will be required to meet increasing enrolments and as resource teachers for special needs. The estimated impact of the schedule change is estimated on the same basis under which estimates of the cost of improving the staffing schedule were calculated in the past.

In terms of the position in respect of any one school for September 2009, schools are currently returning data to my Department in relation to their enrolment as of 30 September last. My Department has commenced processing this data although all schools have not yet made their returns. The allocation processes including notification to schools will commence early in the New Year. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The final allocation to a school is also a function of the operation of the redeployment panels which provide for the retention of a teacher in an existing school if a new post is not available within the agreed terms of the scheme.

It will be necessary in the more testing economic climate ahead for us to continue to target and prioritise our resources to maximum effect for everyone. While teacher numbers are important numerous influential reports have highlighted the fact that teacher quality is the single most important factor — far and above anything else — in improving educational outcomes for children. Ensuring high quality teaching and learning is a challenge and dealing with factors that inhibit it represent a challenge for the Government, the Department, school management and indeed the teacher unions.

I am confident that as the global economy improves it will be possible to build again on the significant achievements of recent years and do so in a manner consistent with overall prudent management of the Irish economy.