The demographic dividend at primary level this year is of the order of 230 posts. Officials of my Department have been engaged in an intensive consultation process with the education partners in recent months and a number of discussions have taken place concerning the allocation of teaching posts arising from the dividend.
The Deputy will be aware from my recent announcement that, in addition to the aforementioned 230 posts, I am allocating an additional 150 posts in order to effect further substantial reductions in class sizes in primary schools.
The Deputy will appreciate that teacher allocations at second level are considerably more complex than at primary level and the term "demographic dividend" is not particularly appropriate.