Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 11: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposed employment of qualified teachers in the classroom who will be in receipt of social welfare payments only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46656/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Public Service Agreement 2010-14 provides that there will be full support in the Civil Service and State agencies for programmes and initiatives to support and assist the unemployed, including the FÁS Work Placement Programme (WPP). My Department has recently issued a circular which permits schools to participate in this FÁS programme if they so wish. The programme will allow schools to apply to FÁS to take on one or more people for a work experience placement for between 25 and 40 hours a week and for a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 9 months.

This involves a placement for a defined period, rather than employment, with the terms and conditions of the placement being provided for in the FÁS materials and being specified by each individual school as deemed appropriate. The WPP provides a mechanism for schools to offer placements to graduates and non-graduates from a wide variety of disciplines which has not existed up until now and provides an opportunity for schools to access skills and experience which may otherwise be unavailable. The individuals on placement will, in turn, have the opportunity to utilise and develop their own skills. Schools may choose to offer placements to teaching graduates. A registered teacher in a placement may undertake normal teaching duties where the BOM/VEC consider this appropriate and can make suitable arrangements. It is a condition of the programme that any placements must not displace an existing member of staff or be used to fill a vacant post. This provision includes substitute vacancies.