23 April 2025
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has warned the Department of Education not to proceed with a reduction in class sizes because of concerns about so-called “overspending”. This is at odds with the Programme for Government’s promise to reduce the general Pupil Teacher Ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the course of this government.
It’s extremely concerning that the government is backtracking on their promises to reduce class sizes, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who represents the Cork South-Central constituency, said:
“We get countless reminders daily that the education budget is too low. Throughout the county, huge numbers of schools are consistently running deficits and are struggling to pay their basic bills.
“At a time when schools across Cork are dealing with a crisis of staffing shortages, the prospect of backtracking on the commitment to reduce class sizes is unacceptable. We need to incentivise teaching as a career, not further damage teachers’ trust in the Government’s promises to improve their working conditions.
“The fact that the Department of Public Expenditure and the Department of Education appear to be at odds over funding is deeply worrying. Their actions have very real consequences for students, families, and school communities.
“Infighting between the two departments will only risk delaying urgently needed progress in inclusive education, supports for teachers, and the reduction in class sizes. These issues have already been put on the back burner for long enough.
“We cannot allow government bureaucracy to impact the right of every child to a high-quality education. Both students and teachers deserve to be a part of school environment that supports them.
“My colleague Jen Cummins, who’s the Social Democrats’ Education spokesperson, will be engaging directly with teachers and school leaders at education conferences this week. I would encourage both the Minister for Education and Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform to reflect on their priorities and recommit to delivering on their government’s existing promises.