Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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450. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional number of teachers that would be required to reduce class sizes from a 21:1 ratio to 19:1 in urban band vertical schools and from 19:1 to 18:1 in urban band 1 junior schools. [24387/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In March this year I announced that from next September the DEIS programme will be extended to an additional 310 schools. 37 schools will also benefit from additional supports following reclassification. This means that overall, 347 schools will benefit. As a result of this announcement from September 2022, this will increase the number of schools supported in the DEIS programme to 1,194 schools benefitting over 240,000 students. From September 2022 there will be 301 schools in DEIS Urban Band 1. My Department will spend approximately €170 million in 2022 on providing supports to schools with the highest levels of educational disadvantage. This will increase to over €180 million from 2023.

The Deputy has asked the number of additional teachers that would be required to reduce class sizes from a 21:1 ratio to 19:1 in urban band 1 vertical schools, and from 19:1 to 18:1 in urban band 1 junior schools.

I have reduced the class sizes in DEIS Urban Band 1 schools in each of the past two budgets. I provided for a one point improvement in the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools for the 2021/22 school year, with a further 1 point improvement to come into effect for all schools, including all DEIS schools from September 2022.

This means that from September 2022 the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 vertical schools will be 20:1, DEIS Urban Band 1 junior schools will be 18:1 and DEIS Urban Band 1 senior schools will be 22:1.

It is estimated that a further 1 point improvement in the staffing schedule to improve the staffing schedule to 19:1 specifically for DEIS Urban Band 1 vertical schools, would require an additional 50 teaching posts. Any further improvement in the staffing schedule must be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.