Five primary schools in Galway had classes with 30 or more students for the last academic year – and one school in Tuam exceeded recommended levels by 58%.

That’s according to new figures from the Department of Education, which Galway West Deputy Mairead Farrell described as ‘clearly unacceptable’ .

She said that there are over 160 students in classes of 30 or more spread across those five different schools in Galway.

“High class sizes have a detrimental impact on the quality of education teachers can deliver. This undermines the teaching environment and children’s ability to learn to the best of their ability,” she said.

“Government has failed to plan and properly fund schools, which has resulted in unacceptably large class sizes including in Galway.

“This has been raised as a concern for many years now, by unions, parents and headteachers yet Government has failed to act despite these warnings,” she added.

Deputy Farrell called on the Minister, Norma Foley, to urgently address this issue. There can be no more delays or excuses.

“All our children deserve the best chance in life, through high quality education that should be a right and not subject to a postcode lottery,” she said.

“Sinn Féin wants to put an end to classes of over 30 pupils and ensure standards never slip to this stage again. We are committed to working towards the EU average of 20 children per class which supports education and learning, and allows for children who may need additional support or guidance to have that opportunity,” she concluded.