Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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557. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the stock of PPE held in reserve by her Department in anticipation of a second wave of Covid-19 or another health emergency requiring all teachers and school personnel to be equipped with same 24-7. [19170/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education is working to put in place a framework of suppliers to provide the necessary PPE for schools and other Education Sector bodies and institutions. The primary focus of this procurement is to allow for the full and safe reopening of all schools. This is an active procurement which is intended will provide for the PPE necessary to support the reopening and will be capable of being scaled up and down as required to meet changes in demand.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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558. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the primary school staffing schedule will be adjusted in budget 2021 in order to commence the required reduction of class size; and in view of the fact that there was no general reduction of the schedule provided for in either budget 2019 or budget 2020. [19177/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools.  For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level. 

Budget 2020 has provided for a budget of more than €11 billion for the Department of Education and Skills in 2020. This is the highest ever allocation to the sector and an increase of nearly €2 billion since 2016. 

Teacher numbers at primary level have increased by almost 3,500 when comparing the 2015/16 school year with the current school year and this has led to a steady improvement in the pupil teacher ratio and average class size statistics during this period.

The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio show an improved ratio of teachers to students from 16:1 to 15:1 at primary level when comparing the 2015/16 school year to the 2019/20 school year.  Average class sizes at primary level improved from 24.9 to 24.1 in the same period.

I am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the staffing schedule in the context of the Programme for Government implementation.