Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe says class sizes in a substantial number of primary and secondary schools will increase from next September in order to help contain public sector pay and meet the demands of greater student numbers.
Outlining the detail of the 2009 Budget provision for his department, Mr O’Keeffe said “tough choices” had to be made in meeting the needs of the sector in difficult economic times.
The move is likely to draw sharp criticism from parents' associations who were promised a reduction in class sizes in the coalition's programme for government.
The Minister said class sizes have to increase to allow teachers and special needs assistants to be exempt from the general 3 per cent payroll cut across the public sector.
Mr O'Keeffe said the bigger classes also resulted from the demographic demands of a bigger student population.
The gross allocation for the Department of Education and Science in 2009 is €9.6 billion - an increase of €302 million, or 3.2pc, on last year.
This includes a €79 million increase in capital spending which Mr O’Keeffe said would allow his department to continue to invest in school buildings, to provide additional school places and to refurbish existing schools.
In his Budget speech to the Dail earlier, Brian Lenihan said strong investment in our primary and post-primary school infrastructure remains a key priority for the Government.
“This substantial investment will provide additional school places, in response to the increased population. It will allow for the modernisation of the existing school infrastructure.”
Mr Lenihan also said an additional €308 million would be made available for spending on education in 2009.
He said €230 million of this increase is for current expenditure to provide for additional costs across the system as a result of increasing student numbers due to demographic factors.
Sinn Féin education spokesman Senator Pearse Doherty said he was "astonished" at the Government's move to increase class sizes and cut funding for primary school funding.
"This move is a kick in the teeth to all those voters who took Fianna Fáil on their word when they promised reduced class sizes ahead of the General Election in 2007," he said.
