Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----to answer the question I put to him. There are currently 800 vacant posts in primary schools. That is set to hit 1,200. That is a problem, I think we can agree. The teaching union is telling us directly that this is related to housing and the fact that teachers cannot afford to rent or buy a home close to where they work. I have asked the Taoiseach what he will do about that. His views on Sinn Féin are a matter for himself but they are not addressing this question. The teachers do not care about that. They want to know what is going to happen to make it possible for young teachers to take up these posts and ensure children get the education they need but the Taoiseach has come back with zilch. In the end, that is the problem with this whole housing debate. We could talk about nurses and the whole economy but we are talking about the teaching profession here.

When it comes right down to it, despite the evidence of failure, and everything the Taoiseach recited is half of what is needed, he cannot seem to accept even that there is a problem, much less offer solutions. Let me put the question again. What will the Taoiseach and Minister for Education do about these shortages to make homes available for these teachers?

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