Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 221: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps he proposes to take to alleviate classroom overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12358/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he expects to be in a position to offer advice and practical assistance to various primary and post primary schools here which are expected to be affected by cuts introduced in Budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12360/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps he proposes to take to ensure a cessation in teacher losses at various schools here which are expected to result in a deterioration in the pupil/teacher ratio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12361/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps he proposes to take to offset the negative impact of the budgetary cuts on pupil/teacher ratios in all schools here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12363/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the pupil/teacher ratio on a county basis in each of the past five years to date; the degree to which it is expected to change in the current climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12365/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 221, 223, 224, 226 and 228 together.

There has been ongoing engagement and discussion with the relevant education partners involving me and/or my senior officials concerning general education matters and specific budgetary matters, since the budget announcements last October.

To be clear there is no doubt that the budget measures concerning staffing will have an impact. There is simply no easy way to control or reduce public expenditure.

At the level of individual schools the changes in relation to the allocation of teaching posts will impact in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. Across the school system generally there will inevitably be an impact on class sizes and at post-primary level the changes will impact on the capacity of individual schools to offer as wide a range of subject choices as heretofore in future years. My Department will through the normal processing of examining applications for curricular concessions endeavour to ensure continuity of provision for those already preparing for the certificate examinations. The changes at second level are therefore more likely to impact on the range of subjects that schools will be able to offer to those starting the Junior or Leaving Certificate programmes next September.

I have been anxious to ensure that the measures are implemented in a transparent and fair manner. My Department has written to the primary schools that are projected to have a net loss or gain in classroom teaching posts in September, 2009. As part of my efforts to ensure that relevant information is openly available to the public detailed information on the opening position for primary schools is now published on my Department's website.

Initial allocation letters have also issued to Post Primary Schools and Vocational Educational Committees. All the above allocations, primary and post-primary are provisional at this stage and reflect the initial allocation position. The final position for any one school will depend on a number of other factors such as the allocation of support teachers, additional posts for schools that are developing rapidly and posts allocated as a result of the appeals processes.

The final staffing position for all schools will ultimately not be known until the Autumn. At that stage the allocation process will be fully completed for mainstream classroom teachers and any appeals to the Staffing Appeals Boards will have been considered. The appellate process is particularly relevant at post-primary level where any specific curricular needs of the school concerned are considered. Also at post-primary there is no effective system wide redeployment scheme at present and this can mean that schools may end up retain teachers, though over quota.

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 teacher unions. The teaching profession in Ireland is highly regarded and well paid by international standards. It continues to attract from the top quartile of students which is a key ingredient to the provision of quality education.

Pupil Teacher Ratios in respect of all schools is currently only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable.