Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be any provision in budget 2023 to allow class sizes to be reduced by two points in order to be brought to the European average as a matter of best practice (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47315/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.

At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. The staffing schedule has been improved under both Budgets in the past two years. For the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and our schools are currently staffed at the most favourable level ever seen, on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils. Budget 22 also provided lower staffing retention levels for all primary schools.

The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 15.7:1 to 13.7:1 at primary level when comparing the 2016/17 school year to the 2021/22 school year. This compares favourably with the OECD pupil teacher ratio which is 1:15. In the same period the staffing schedule improved from 27:1 to 25:1. Average class sizes improved from 24.6 to 22.8 in the same period.

Further improvements will have to be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.