asked the Minister for Education in view of the new guidelines for class sizes announced on 26 November 1987 and the deferring of any implementation of Circular 20/87 until September 1988 the reduction in savings at primary level estimated to follow from these changes; and the way in which she intends to find the shortfall.

Circular 20/87 announced changes to the arrangements governing the staffing of national schools which provided that posts would be discontinued from 31 December 1987 where schools did not comply with the criteria set out in the new schedules governing the retention of staff for the four consecutive quarters ending on 31 December 1987. Under the terms of the Rules for National Schools, eligible teachers whose posts are discontinued in such cases may opt for inclusion on a diocesan or other approved panel to enable them to secure appointment to alternative posts in national schools, and they continue to serve with pay in their original schools while awaiting redeployment. As the bulk of vacancies in schools occur when teachers leave at the end of the school year, the measures announced in the circular were costed on the basis that teachers on the panel would not be redeployed to other schools until September 1988 and that there would be no major impact on the staffing of schools until the end of the 1978-88 school year. Accordingly, deferring the implementation of the circular until after June 1988 does not materially affect the calculations in the 1988 Estimates.

I have announced the establishment of a Primary Quota Review Committee which will examine cases where particular difficulties are caused by the implementation of the circular. It may emerge following the recommendations of this committee that in cases certain posts may be retained which would otherwise be discontinued, and that as a result an element of the savings anticipated in 1988 may not be realised. However it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the work of the committee by attempting to quantify in advance the likely number of such posts and the cost of retaining them in schools.

Before I ask the supplementary questions, I want to say it is not my intention to raise the temperature here at all. I believe it is important at this point that I should ask the Minister in view of the impending mass marches during the next few weekends by parents, the demonstrations and meetings that are scheduled, the alarm and confusion that there still is in the education system and the fact that the front page of The Kerryman carries an assertion,, which Deputy Spring revealed earlier today, that the circular has been withdrawn on the Minister's word to him, would the Minister now confirm that circular has been withdrawn?

That is not on the front page.

I have not seen the front page of The Kerryman. Neither did I say anything to Deputy Spring about any circular being withdrawn.

Deputy Foley.

No, I did not say anything to any particular Deputy. The circular remains in place. The Quota Review Committee will go into action on the implementation of the circular as at the end of the school year 1987-88. Again I appreciate that Deputy Hussey does not wish to raise the temperature but the fact is, I am not responsible for some of the things which appear in newspapers.

May I ask if the Minister issued an unheaded piece of paper to all the Deputies in the Fianna Fáil Party dated 1 December concerning an action committee on the new Primary Quota Review Committee?

We engaged——

Do you deny it?

I shall not deny anything. We have engaged, as is normal for all political parties, in very intensive discussions with our own backbenchers. Indeed from time to time we read in the newspapers the contents and the course of these discussions with one's own backbenchers which are a very important part of the political process in a democracy. In the course of such a meeting I gave information on the Primary Quota Review Committee and might I also add that on last Thursday night on "Today Tonight" there was a very full 20 minute discussion on the Primary Quota Review Committee. I am very happy to announce also that I said it on Tuesday night on the Adjournment Debate when a very full reply was given to Deputy Michael Higgins, the Labour Party spokesman on Education. There is no hidden motive in the whole affair.

But the Minister did not answer my question.

A final supplementary.

My final question is divided into two small parts. (1) I want to ask the Minister if she will now include the National Parents' Council in any review of the primary system or in any quota review committee, both of which have been announced in recent days by the Minister? (2) I wish to ask whether the Minister considers it a sound educational policy to have decisions about class sizes being made on an arbitrary basis with the assistance of representation from political parties, instead of the normal scheduled arrangements where schools know exactly where they stand?

With regard to the first part of the question, the involvement of the National Parents' Council, I shall be meeting with the National Parents' Council this evening, an arrangement made some months ago. I understand we will be discussing that matter.

That does not answer my question.

I will be discussing the matter with the National Parents' Council within an hour. With regard to the second part of the question on political parties, the only circular which has issued to schools is Circular 20/87, which will be deferred until the end of June. As my earlier answer to Deputy Hussey made plain, the savings or the amounts of money to be so found under that heading in the primary school sector were already dependant upon very minimal changes coming in before the start of the school year in September 1988.