I raise the commitment in the programme for Government to reach a 19:1 student-teacher ratio in our primary schools. In my area, Scoil Maelruain national school was stripped of a teacher because the school was one student short for the coming year. This resulted in four classes being turned into three, with numbers of 29 and 30 students. This flies in the face of the commitment and pushes the class size to the limit. The Tánaiste knows that society and schools have changed. Children and pupils are more transient and not fixed to an area because of the housing crisis, through no fault of their own. This is placing stress on schools as regards class sizes because teachers are allocated for the year based on the rolls on a set day. Another school in my area lost out because Ukrainian families were moved to the west in the middle of September. This is practical stuff. Will the Government consider introducing flexibility in the allocation of teachers beyond the current cut-off of 30 September?

The Government is committed to continuing to reduce class sizes. We have seen a significant reduction in pupil-teacher ratios over the past several years. However, the Deputy is right to say it is not an exact science, and I will not pretend it is. It has to be at a point in time. There are opportunities for schools to appeal, put forward information with regard to special circumstances or show they expect that numbers will grow again in the following year. I am not sure it is entirely as blunt an instrument as might be suggested. However, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to give consideration to the point the Deputy has made.

On the point about Ukrainians, we have tried to minimise the movement of Ukrainian students during the school year. It has not always been possible, but we are conscious of the fact that when kids are settled in a school it is important to try to minimise that disruption. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy.