Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the loss of a teacher at a school (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the increase in class size; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36817/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The budget measures will impact on individual schools 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. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2008. While the staffing schedule allocates on the basis of an average number of pupils each individual school decides on how to arrange its classes. Combined classes are a feature of the majority of schools in the country and this arrangement has no adverse implications for the quality of the education children receive.

In terms of class sizes 80% of primary pupils were in classes of less than 30 pupils during the last school year. With over 20,000 individual classes spread across all schools throughout the country there will inevitably be differences in individual class sizes. Some schools can have class sizes of greater than 28 but this is often because of a local decision by a school to use its teaching resources in order to have smaller numbers in other classes. The Deputy will be aware that the renewed programme for Government commits the Government to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government.

It also states that we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. We will immediately start the process of providing 200 posts to those schools most seriously affected by the recent increase in the PTR, using objective criteria which will be agreed in advance in consultation with the education partners, with an appeals process. A further 150 posts will be created in each of the following years. My Department proposes to structure a consultation process through meetings with the education partners in the coming weeks in accordance with the commitment to consultation as set out in the renewed programme. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the issues raised by the Deputy pending the outcome of the consultation process.