Vol. 481 No. 6
12 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools in County Meath which are above the current national average teacher ratio of 22.1 pupils; if he will provide sufficient funds in the 1998 Estimates to alleviate this very serious problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16600/97]
The information sought by the Deputy is being extracted from records in my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The Deputy will be aware that An Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in the allocation of resources. I assure the Deputy that, in framing the 1998 Estimates, I am currently examining a range of options, including the issue of class sizes, with a view to identifying appropriate ways to fulfil this commitment.
