Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 233 of 24 September 2013, if he will confirm the number of students in each classroom in a school (details supplied); and if he considers the current situation satisfactory. [40980/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The context for any discussion about class sizes is that my Department, like all other Government Departments, is operating within a budgetary programme that is designed to return the Government finances to a sustainable basis. My focus is on ensuring we have school places and teachers for all the additional pupils entering our schools each year. There is no scope to give any consideration to the provision of additional teachers in order to reduce class sizes.

Classroom teachers are currently allocated under the published Staffing Schedule on the basis of a general average of 1 teacher for every 28 pupils with lower thresholds for DEIS Band 1 schools. Data on the number of pupils in each class is available in the class size file on the Department's website at the following link: . The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. My Department's guidance to schools is that variations in class sizes should be kept to the minimum.