Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing the additional school classrooms required to reduce class sizes in primary schools to a maximum of 20 pupils per class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12195/16]

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing additional school classrooms to reduce class sizes at schools participating in the DEIS initiative to a maximum of 15 pupils per class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12197/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 150 together.

Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The staffing schedule in the current year at primary level operates on the basis of 1 classroom teacher for an average of every 28 pupils. Lower thresholds apply in the case of the 646 DEIS Band 1 primary schools, ranging from 20:1 to 24:1 depending on the type of school.

The capital requirements impact arising from a reduction in class size is difficult to predict at individual school level including DEIS schools. A change in the staffing schedule may not always give rise to the appointment of an additional teacher and therefore the provision of new classroom build. In areas of stable or falling pupil enrolment numbers schools may already have a spare classroom or be in a position to convert an existing space into a classroom.

It is estimated that each 1 point adjustment to the staffing schedule will involve an additional 250-300 posts. Not taking any potential spare classroom capacity into consideration, it is estimated that the cost of providing additional classroom accommodation for each 1 point adjustment to the staffing schedule will amount to between €34 million to €40 million.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing additional school classrooms to reduce class sizes at post-primary level to a maximum of 25 pupils per class; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12196/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Teacher allocations to all post primary schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.

In accordance with the published staffing arrangements each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities. It should also be noted in that regard that class group sizes will vary between general subject and specialist subject classes. The precise impact at individual school level is therefore difficult to predict in terms of capital requirements. A change in the staffing allocations may not always give rise to the appointment of an additional teacher and therefore the provision of additional post primary accommodation.

It is estimated that each one point adjustment to the pupil teacher ratio (ptr) at post-primary level will involve in the order of 1,000 additional teaching posts. Not taking any potential spare school capacity into consideration, an estimate of providing additional general classroom accommodation for each 1 point adjustment to the staffing allocation will amount to over €80 million.