Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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412. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he will introduce a new national small schools project, as outlined in the Programme for Government. [33868/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports. The Government is very aware that small schools are an important part of the life of local communities.

The current small schools' action research project established in 2021 is due to conclude at the end of the next school year. The project has brought small schools together in local clusters, enabling them to collaborate, identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions.

It includes six clusters of small schools, two in Galway and one each in Donegal, Kerry, Wicklow and Waterford, consisting of between three and five schools per cluster. The feedback from schools has been extremely positive and this is reflected in the interim evaluation report recently published by my department.

The independent review identifies potential areas for closer collaboration and an analysis of the scalability of actions already undertaken. As the project progresses a further evaluation will take place.

Learnings from this evaluation of the current project will be invaluable and form a strong basis to inform the future policy direction in relation to all small schools, including how the Programme for Government commitment can be delivered.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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413. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that have been taken to reduce primary class sizes to 19, as stated in the Programme for Government. [33869/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes.

This will build on the progress which has been made by the previous Government. The general average of pupils to teachers in the Primary Staffing Schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year; the lowest ever ratio at primary level. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.5 in that time, while the ratio of pupils to teachers has improved from 15:1 to 12.8:1, through the investment we are making in schools.

I am considering how best to make further progress as part of the annual budgetary process in reducing the primary pupil teacher ratio in the context of Programme for Government implementation.