I welcome the Minister of State and acknowledge the good work he has been doing in the Department. I raise an issue of enormous importance to rural communities across County Cavan, which is the future of our small primary schools and the need for greater investment in teaching posts and reduced class sizes. As a former primary school teacher, INTO branch chair and a regular delegate to INTO congress, this is an issue close to my heart. I first entered Seanad Éireann in 1989 with an INTO nomination on the cultural and educational panel and because of that background I understand the challenges facing teachers, pupils and school communities today.

I have been contacted by teachers and local communities that are deeply concerned about the future of schools, such as Corlea National School in the east of County Cavan and Coronea National School in a more central area of the county. These schools are classic examples that are much more than places of education. They are at the heart of their communities. The Irish National Teachers Organisation has highlighted the growing pressures facing primary education. According to figures confirmed by the Department of Education and Youth, 419,823 children, approximately 80% of all primary school pupils, are currently in classes above the EU average size of 16 pupils. In addition, 996 teaching posts remain unfilled while 7,864 substitute teaching positions are being covered by personnel who are not fully qualified teachers.

Having made that point, I acknowledge at this juncture that consistently over the past ten or 15 years, this and previous Governments have been reducing the pupil-teacher ratio. That is not a reason not to want to make further progress, but it is important to acknowledge that it has consistently been the case in the worst of times. These figures I have cited should concern all of us. They highlight the urgent need to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio in our classrooms. As a former teacher, I know that a smaller class size allows for more individual attention, earlier intervention when difficulties arise and better outcomes. The INTO has called for the recruitment for 1,000 additional primary teachers in budget 2027. At its core, this proposal is about reducing the teacher-pupil ratio. Every additional teacher means more support for pupils, particularly those with additional needs, and less pressure on already stretched staff.

The challenge is particularly acute in rural Ireland to keep small schools open. Under current Department of education staffing arrangements, a small drop in enrolment can result in the loss of a teacher post. That is the kernel for these small schools that are the at the heart of their communities, like Corlea and Coronea, which have multigrade and combined classes. It is important that is sorted out. I ask the Minister of State to examine greater flexibility within the staffing allocation system for small rural schools, and to give serious consideration to an INTO proposal for 1,000 additional primary teachers in this budget. Fundamentally, flexibility would matter a lot there. Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, whether they attend school in Dublin city centre or a rural school in County Cavan. Reducing the teacher-pupil ratio should be a national priority. We have a responsibility to ensure that schools such as the ones I cited continue to provide the attention, support and quality education that every child deserves.

I thank the Senator and I appreciate the question. Budget 2026 provides for a total of €13.1 billion investment in the Department of Education and Youth services. That is a 7% increase on last year. The budget provides for an increase of €845 million in core funding for education and youth on the figure allocated for 2025, while the total investment figure also includes €1.6 billion allocated for 2026 as part of the National Development Plan 2026-2030.

This funding reflects the Government's continued commitment under the programme for Government to ensure every child and young person can learn, thrive and reach their full potential. It builds on the progress made in recent years while recognising that further work is needed to make education more inclusive and equitable for all.

Teacher numbers at primary level have reached their highest-ever level in the current school year. Currently, there are over 43,000 teaching posts allocated across the primary school system. This represents an increase of just over 5,000 teachers compared with the figure for the 2019–20 school year, and this has led to a steady improvement in the pupil–teacher ratio and average class sizes during this period.

In recent budgets, priority was given to reducing the pupil–teacher ratio in primary schools, which brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of one classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. A three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.

The DEIS urban band 1 schools, including DEIS plus schools, receive additional allocations of 17:1, 20:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools, respectively. The latest figures on the pupil–teacher ratio show an improved ratio of pupils to teachers, from 15:1 to 12:1 at primary level, when comparing the 2019–20 school year with the 2024–25 school year. The average EU pupil–teacher ratio is 15:1. This includes all teachers allocated to a school as a ratio of the number of pupils enrolled in that school. The difference arises from the allocation of special education teachers, home school liaison teachers and other teachers who are not mainstream classroom teachers in schools. While these teachers provide valuable supports in school, they do not impact on class sizes. In the same five-year period, the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 to 23:1, and average class sizes at primary school have improved from 24 to 22.

The Government has significantly invested in schools and in our teacher workforce over recent years. The programme for Government commits to making further progress in this area, with an aim of reducing the general pupil–teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of the Government.

I take the points the Senator has raised on the pupil–teacher ratio. In this regard, I have outlined one of the key goals. In the Senator's opening comments, she said a lower pupil–teacher ratio improves outcomes for children. The Government is constantly asking how we can make things better for children going through primary school and post-primary school. As with all elements of education, the aim is to equip them with the best tools they can have for entry into adulthood, when their school education ends. The education system is crucial in this regard. I take the Senator's points, but I might respond on the staffing schedule in my closing statement.

I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge and appreciate both his presence and the very positive nature of his response. I also acknowledge the progress made.

Let me make a little human aside. I spoke about my attendance at INTO congresses down the years. An excellent delegate attending those conferences with me on many a day was the dad of Senator Nessa Cosgrove, who will be speaking later.

He was a big fan of the Senator's.

He was a very distinguished Irish National Teachers Organisation member and delegate. That emphasises how young Senator Cosgrove still is.

To go back to the point, I acknowledge progress but we need more. What I am asking is that we have a commitment to, and practical implementation in the next budget in respect of, a further reduction in class sizes, with an emphasis on the training and recruitment of teachers to fill vacant posts, because there is a real lacuna in the number of available teachers. We should not have substitution all the time, using untrained personnel in many instances. Could we consider how we accommodate the small schools in rural Ireland and build in flexibility, while not going to ridiculous levels, obviously? Nobody is suggesting that. It is a matter of how we build in sensible flexibility that would maintain our small schools. I am aware that this subject is close to the Minister of State's heart.

I thank the Senator. The first point was on the progress being made on the pupil–teacher ratio and how we are going to continue that progress in the lifetime of the Government, in line with the commitment in the programme for Government. The challenges with the staffing schedule go back many years and relate to the enrolment number on 30 September. We have to have very clear guidance on the staffing schedule. I see the merit in flexibility where schools are just shy of the requirement by one pupil or whatever, but, to operate the entire education system with its 43,000 primary school teachers, we have to be very mindful that the 30 September numbers are built into the pupil-teacher ratios, and we have to work to them.

The other point the Senator made was on teacher training. Thankfully, a huge number of people are still willing to study education in teacher training colleges. That builds on the great education system we have and the teachers who have worked within it over many generations and have yielded enormous benefits for Ireland Inc. Thankfully, there are young people who are quite willing to regard teaching as a career, and long may that continue.

Yes, I understand the issue affecting small rural schools, but it is important to note that numbers are also an issue in some urban schools. I take the Senator's points and will reflect very carefully on them as we go into the budget cycle, which started a number of weeks ago. Our commitment in the programme for Government is very clear on where we need to get to in terms of education.