The Irish Vocational Association (IVEA) has welcomed today's announcement by Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, that fifty school projects are scheduled for construction in 2013.
IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty says:

The announcement of the provision of over 25,000 permanent school places, which includes over 21,000 additional school places, is very welcome. While IVEA recognises the financial constraints under which the government is working, we are glad to know that the Minister is prioritising school building projects to ensure that every child will have access to a school place.
 
IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty issued the following statement today:
There has been some considerable public comment that there has been no increase in the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) in the public school sector in Budget 2013. This is incorrect, as the PTR in those schools or colleges that provide Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses will have an increase of two points in the PTR, from 17:1 to 19:1.

In one particular College of Further Education (CFE), this translates into 5.88 fewer teachers, which amounts to a loss of almost 10% of the total teacher cohort. This example demonstrates the impact of the cuts on the further education sector.
 
IVEA General Secretary Michael Moriarty issued the following statement today: