Protection of class sizes could see cut to third-level budgets

The protection of class sizes in schools could come at the expense of third-level budgets when Education Minister Ruairi Quinn unveils his spending plans for almost €9bn this evening.

Despite spending €149m less than expected up to the end of September, he is unlikely to have a giveaway budget. But with €55m of the underspend attributed to fewer-than-anticipated retirement lump sums paid out, there may be more room for manoeuvre than expected in late summer when he suggested up to €100m of cuts might be needed at his department.

A requirement to appoint hundreds more teachers for an estimated 10,000 rise in primary school enrolments will quickly eat up any saving on pension payments. But it will be enough to justify leaving staffing schedules, and hence class sizes, alone.