220. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the case of a school (details supplied) in which classes will be merged due to the school not meeting the threshold to retain staff which will result in a class of around 34 students in the next academic year, creating an extremely high student to teacher ratio; if she will request her Department to address this issue; and if she wi…
Topics / Pupil-Teacher Ratio
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsPupil-Teacher Ratio
113 questions from 43 TDs, between 13 February 2025 and 20 October 2026.
113
questions
111 written, 2 oral
43
TDs have asked
7
parties and groups
Independents counted together
1
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 3 |
| March 2025 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 7 |
| May 2025 | 3 |
| June 2025 | 5 |
| July 2025 | 17 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 4 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 3 |
| February 2026 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 9 |
| April 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 5 |
| June 2026 | 18 |
| July 2026 | 23 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 3 |
| October 2026 | 5 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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15
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7
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6
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5
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5
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4
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4
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4
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
580. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she considers a class size of 39 pupils to be excessive for a single teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23713/25]
180. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of reducing average class sizes in mainstream primary schools by two pupils per class for the period 1 October to 31 December 2026; the estimated cost of maintaining this reduction for a full year, from 1 January to 31 December 2027, with the same detailed breakdown of additional expenditure. [22392/25]
857. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the average, median, maximum and minimum primary school class sizes for the Cork City and Cork County Council area from 2019 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [19242/25]
181. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if the announced reduction in pupil teacher ratio will be introduced for the coming school year, where a school could potentially loose a teacher, only to be forced to recruit additional teachers the subsequent year, due to significant population growth in the area, and given the difficulties of recruiting teachers. [17153/25]
512. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education to report on her Department’s efforts to reduce the student to teacher ratio in primary schools. [17175/25]
513. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education to report on her Department’s efforts to reduce the student to teacher ratio in post-primary schools. [17176/25]
118. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education the general pupil ratio in Kilkenny and Carlow schools in 2024, and how it is aimed to reduce this ratio to 19; the targeted measures that will be introduced in schools with large classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16018/25]
364. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15004/25]
365. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education to examine the case for additional teaching staff at school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15006/25]
14. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education her plans to reduce the pupil teacher ratio to 19:1 in the lifetime of this Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8312/25]
192. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school classrooms of 30 pupils or more, and their locations, for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024; the measures she is taking to reduce the number of very large classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5410/25]
193. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school classrooms of 30 pupils or more in County Meath in each of the past five years; the measures she is taking to reduce the number of very large classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5411/25]