TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen, who is leading a trade mission to China, refused yesterday to send any "message" to Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae, who has been critical of the reduction in teacher numbers in the recent Budget.
Asked if he had any message for the Independent TDs who have supported the Government up to now, Mr Cowen told Irish journalists covering his Chinese visit: "All my messages are best given, I think, closer to home."
In relation to the teacher unions and their objections to the Budget, Mr Cowen said: "I've explained the need for us to proceed within the budgetary parameters that we have. As you know, I think the ASTI [Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland] have indicated they'll be coming to talk to the Minister for Education.
"I'd encourage all the teachers' unions to do so, on the basis that he has to implement his policies on the basis of the increased budget he has and I have explained yesterday evening the add-ons that were unavoidable and why he has to make some changes and I think that we have to proceed along those lines," the Taoiseach said.
Mr Healy-Rae had said earlier yesterday that he was hoping that Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe would make some changes to his Budget decision to increase class sizes.
Mr Healy-Rae said that 11 teachers would be lost from two schools in his constituency as a direct result of the cutbacks.
He said in one of the schools, Holy Cross in Killarney, there were 109 foreign national children who needed extra help and would lose it. He would speak to the Minister about it, he said.
"I want to see how he will address the very, very exceptional bad cases that I have," he said.
"Whether it's the same all over Ireland or not, I don't know, but I know down here in southwest Kerry, things are extremely desperate."
He said he hoped that the Minister would make some changes, but he would not commit himself to withdrawing from Government if the changes were not made.
He said he knew the Minister well, he was a good friend and a very easy, nice man to talk to.
"He hasn't let me down under pressure yet. I hope he won't do that now," Mr Healy-Rae said.
He also said he knew that farmers had "massive problems" following cuts in the Budget, which included the cessation of the farm retirement scheme.
"We'll talk about that later to the Minister for Agriculture, but I hope to speak to Batt O'Keeffe next week," he said.
Asked to comment on speculation that the Government would be rowing back on cuts in teacher numbers, a spokesman for Mr O'Keeffe said: "The Minister intends to implement in full the measures outlined in the Budget."
China's stalling boom has globe worried: page 15