1253. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to a pre-budget campaign (details supplied); the actions she will take to address the specific issues outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56791/26]

1254. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the way in which Ireland compares to other EU countries in terms of average class sizes at a primary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56792/26]

1255. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the way in which Ireland compares to the UK in terms of average class sizes at a primary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56793/26]

1256. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding an initiative that seeks to reduce average class sizes at a primary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56794/26]

1258. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a mechanism in place to support a primary school teacher that is experiencing burnout related to oversized classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56796/26]

1261. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the national average student teacher ratio in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56799/26]

1262. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the average student teacher ratio in primary schools in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56800/26]

1274. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the teacher allocations for each second level school in Dublin mid-west for the 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 school years; in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57078/26]

1276. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the teacher allocations for each primary level school in Dublin mid-west for the 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 school years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57080/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1253, 1254, 1255, 1256, 1258, 1261, 1262, 1274 and 1276 together.

This Government is committed to improving staffing levels in primary schools and supporting the recruitment and retention of teachers. According to the latest published data from November 2025, there were more than 97% of allocated primary teaching posts filled. Teacher numbers at primary level have increased by almost 6,000 since 2019 and now stand at the highest level ever recorded at over 43,400.

The Government is investing a record €14.1 billion in education and schools through Budget 2026. This record level of investment has enabled significant progress in tackling educational disadvantage and supporting children and young people with special educational needs to achieve their full potential. Funding has been provided for 860 additional special education teachers across special schools and mainstream settings, together with more than 1,700 additional special needs assistants. Budget 2026 also includes an additional €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS strategy and the DEIS Plus scheme, benefiting approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS Plus schools as well as one in four children across schools in the DES programme.

Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to reduce the general primary pupil : teacher ratio to 19:1 over the lifetime of the Government and to introduce targeted measures for schools with very large classes. This builds on substantial progress already made.

The primary staffing schedule has improved from an average allocation ratio of 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year, the lowest ever at primary level. Average class sizes have fallen from 24.1 to 22.2 pupils, while the overall pupil : teacher ratio improved from 15:1 in 2019/20 to 12.8:1 in 2023/24, comparing favourably with the OECD average of 14:1. More favourable staffing arrangements also apply in DEIS Urban Band 1 schools.

Teaching continues to be an attractive profession. More than 1,800 newly qualified primary teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025, while there remains strong demand for initial teacher education programmes. To support teacher supply, the Government has increased teacher education output, improved pathways to permanent employment through revised CID arrangements, introduced measures to support overseas-qualified teachers and returning teachers, and is developing a comprehensive education workforce plan.

I am conscious of the importance of continuing to reduce class sizes and improve teacher allocations at primary level. Any further measures, including proposals for additional teaching posts, will be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process and Programme for Government commitments.

The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data in relation to our schools, including information on teacher numbers, pupil teacher ratio and the number of classes in each individual school. The data in relation to the 2025/26 school year is currently being collated and is due to be published in the next few weeks.