Pressure grows on government as almost 1,000 Wicklow pupils taught in classes of 30 or more
The Wicklow PeoplePressure is mounting on the government to tackle overcrowding in Wicklow’s primary schools, after two of the county’s TDs warned that almost 1,000 children are now being taught in classes of 30 pupils or more.
Sinn Féin’s Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin and Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne issued separate but aligned warnings, citing new figures from the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Department of Education that show class sizes in Wicklow remain among the highest in the country.
Deputy Ó Súilleabháin, who spent 34 years as a primary teacher, said INTO data reveals severe overcrowding in several schools, including Carnew National School, where classes range between 30 and 34 pupils, and Clochar Muire National School in Rathdrum, where 125 children are spread across similarly large class groupings.
He said 40 schools in Wicklow now have classes of 30 or more, a situation he described as “completely unacceptable” for both pupils and teachers.
According to him, Ireland continues to record some of the largest class sizes in Europe, well above international norms, and the consequences are being felt acutely in counties like Wicklow where population growth has outpaced investment in local school capacity.
He said no child should be expected to learn in overcrowded classrooms and no teacher should be expected to deliver high quality education under such pressure.
Speaking after a recent meeting with INTO representatives, he said concerns were raised about teacher shortages, rising enrolments and the need for greater investment in school infrastructure.
He argued that the government must recruit an additional one thousand primary teachers in Budget 2027 to reduce class sizes and support schools that are struggling to fill posts.
He also pointed to delays in school building projects in Bray, Greystones, Rathdrum, Wicklow town and Arklow, saying these bottlenecks are contributing to the overcrowding crisis.
Deputy Byrne separately analysed the Department of Education’s 2025/26 class size tables and confirmed that 984 children in Wicklow are in classes of 30 or more.
His breakdown shows that these pupils are spread across 31 classrooms, with the largest class recorded at Gaelscoil Uí Cheadaigh in Bray, where 35 pupils were enrolled.
Nationally, the Department confirmed that 39,042 pupils are in 1,251 classes of thirty or more. Deputy Byrne said that while Wicklow’s figures show a small improvement on recent years, the situation remains “completely unfair” for pupils and teachers.
He said teachers do an incredibly dedicated job, but that classes of more than 30 pupils inevitably challenge the level of attention required for each child.
He has been pressing for further reductions in the pupil–teacher ratio, arguing that large classes undermine learning and place additional strain on teachers who are already dealing with complex classroom needs.
Deputy Byrne believes the latest figures show that while progress has been made, the pace of change is too slow.
Both TDs say the issue must be prioritised in Budget 2027, with Deputy Ó Súilleabháin calling for a major staffing boost and Deputy Byrne urging further reductions in the pupil–teacher ratio to tackle oversized classes.