This concerns the reckless decision of the Government to remove a teacher, the 11th mainstream teaching post, from St. Patrick's Junior National School in Skerries. I will refer to what a parent wrote to me. I have spoken to parents and teachers. They are absolutely frantic. She said the school currently has 267 pupils, which is above the standard retention threshold of 258. This raises an important question. Why is a school that remains above the normal teacher retention threshold losing a teaching post and doing so in a way and at a time when there will be the maximum amount of disruption on 23 October? That means we have 22 days to change the Minister of State's mind and for him to reverse this reckless decision. Parents have written to me and what they are saying is that it seems like this Government is failing their children. This will put the class size at 33. We know that the Minister is aiming for 21. At the moment, the number is 22, but it will move it to 33. That is absolutely reckless. This decision must be reversed.

I know the school very well. It is where I started my own schooldays. I share my constituency colleague's concerns. It is simply unacceptable to have a class size of 33. Will the Minister of State engage very proactively with the school? There are huge additional needs in this particular year, but as he knows, in all years we have very challenging needs. That puts undue pressure on pupils, students and SNAs. First, a class size of 33 is simply unacceptable. Second, will the Minister of State go back and look at the threshold? This school is meeting the threshold. There has to be some flexibility here to retain the teacher. Parents, teachers, the wider school community and I am at a loss as to why we are going to lose this teacher. I urge the Minister of State to proactively engage with the school and do everything he can to retain the teacher.

I back my two constituency colleagues and thank them for sharing time with me. The north county is exploding in its demographics and school supply is lagging behind there as it is. St. Patrick's Junior School in Skerries needs to retain the 11th teacher for a number of reasons. The second class is going to go from 22 to 33 students if we lose the 11th teacher. I worked in a secondary school, so I know at first hand the impact increasing the number in a class by that size has on the attention students are going to get. With all the will in the world, if we add 50% to a class, it is so much more difficult for any teacher to address their needs. This is at a time when, as my colleague mentioned, we are looking at having 21 students per class. Could we please look at this again? Could we have some flexibility in this case?

I thank the Deputies very much for raising the issue. It is always great to see TDs raising issues on a cross-constituency basis. It shows the importance of the issue being raised, so I thank them for raising it. The primary staffing schedule is a long-standing feature of the primary allocation system, which ensures fairness and transparency in the allocation of mainstream class teachers across primary schools, regardless of location.

The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at an individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and the enrolment of pupils on the previous 30 September. The staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2026-2027 school year are set out in circular 25 of 2026. In the 2025-2026 school year, St. Patrick's Junior School in Skerries had a mainstream staffing of an administrative principal and 12 mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 281 pupils on 30 September 2024. The school enrolment fell to 249 on 30 September 2025 and so the mainstream staffing at the school was due to be reduced by two classroom teachers for 2026-2027. Staffing arrangements included a projected enrolment process whereby schools experiencing significant increase in enrolment may apply for additional mainstream staffing. In order to qualify for such a post, schools like St. Patrick's Junior National School, which had more than seven teachers, required an increase of 23 pupils on the previous September's enrolment. The projected enrolment figure must be five more than the appointed threshold for teachers as set out in appendix A of the circular 25 of 2026. An additional classroom teacher is allocated on a provisional basis pending confirmation that the school reaches the required enrolment on 30 September. In the case of St. Patrick's, a projected enrolment of 272 was required in order to qualify for the post. As the school advises of a projected enrolment of 273 pupils for 30 September, the school was given a provisional sanction for a projected enrolment post. Obviously, as today is 1 October, we are awaiting the figures as of yesterday, 30 September.

The staffing process also contains an appeal mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal to the independent primary staffing appeals board. One of the appeals criteria is aimed at schools that received a projected enrolment post but do not meet the required enrolment on 30 September, while another is aimed at schools experiencing pressure on class sizes at infant level. Such schools may submit an appeal to the October meeting of the primary staffing appeal board. The information and application forms are available from the Department and on circular 25 of 2026. The closing date for the application or appeal is 13 October. I might address the other issues in my closing remarks.

The school is due to lose the teacher on 23 October. In his closing remarks the Minister of State might advise us how this is going to work, given that the deadline is looming. He might also advise us whether he believes that 33 children in a classroom is acceptable. I will tell him on my behalf that 33 children in a classroom is very much not acceptable. That is not a good learning environment for children to have. That is not a good environment for teachers, SNAs and the wider school community to have to deal with. That is not an environment that is conducive to being able to do the best for children with additional needs, and there are many in this school. Parents are frantic. Of course they can engage in the appeals process, but the date they are due to lose the teacher is 23 October. I urge the Minister of State to tell me if he thinks 33 children in a classroom is okay. When we know the OECD average is 21, the EU average is 19, we are looking at 33 in a junior school in Skerries. It is not acceptable. The Minister of State might confirm in his remarks if he or the Government think it is acceptable, because I really do not.

I have only just received the Minister of State's answer, but I was trying to follow him. He says the school had 249 pupils and it needed an additional 23 on the previous September's enrolment, which it has. It has exceeded that. I am not sure what the threshold figure is but there has to be some flexibility here. The school has exceeded its enrolment by 23 pupils. Pressures are going to be placed on the students in the classroom, in particular with all of the additional needs.

The Minister of State is the Minister of State responsible for special education. He has to agree it is simply not acceptable to have 33 students in a class.

Enrolment is a tricky at this level, namely, going from school into secondary school and going from early years into primary school, when parents must apply to numerous schools to get one place. I do not have the answer as to how we make the system better for mainstream schools at primary level but I do think it is something we can knock our heads together on and make a better system. I know from experience that the classroom environment functions better with fewer numbers. I know the Minister of State knows that and agrees with us on that, so that is why we are asking him to bear in mind the pressure on students and the pressure on teachers who have to take 33 students instead of 21. I ask him to please reconsider.

I thank the Deputies for the questions. I would nearly bet that the school has probably committed to and sent in the enrolment for 30 September at this stage because schools are very efficient bodies and I am sure this school, St. Patrick's, is no different. We will reflect on that figure when it is sent in.

I take the point. We have to have a staffing schedule. If we look at the average of our schools, it is even fewer than 20 when we take every teacher into account. I take the point the Deputies made about 33 pupils in a classroom. Governments over many years have been reducing the pupil-teacher ratio to ensure we have smaller classrooms where children can thrive.

I have no doubt the school has contacted the Department, so I will ensure it liaises directly with the school on the figures and advise it accordingly as to the next process. There is no point in me standing up here, whether I agree or not with the issue. Unfortunately, we have to have a staffing schedule that is part of the system and a system of governance that applies right across the education system. However, when cases like this are brought to my attention, I will reflect very carefully on them and see what has come back from the school in order that we make the appropriate decision.

I thank the Deputies for their flexibility towards their colleague. Ultimately, it is not setting a precedent.