Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

To go back to the supply panels and Ms O'Connor's response to my first intervention, she said it used to be that at primary level there would be one teacher on a supply panel for approximately every 35 teachers. This is primarily a primary level solution. As I said already, I will speak on the national development plan. In the education section of the plan, there is reference to demographic growth. We all know that this has been significant in recent years and that it will continue. It is estimated that there will be an extra 1 million people in Ireland during the timeframe of the plan. Further, the Department of Education and Skills has a section that deals with demographic planning etc. As Senator Byrne said before she left, there has been an increase in the actual number of teaching positions. This will have to continue if we are to keep the pupil-teacher ratios as they are or improve them as time goes on.

If we are to have a supply panel as well, we clearly need more teachers in addition to the extra numbers we need to meet demographic growth. It is probably an issue for the Department of Education and Skills rather than anyone here but we need to quantify the numbers in some way and go about finding solutions. We have all been talking about various solutions in terms of pay, bringing people back, and raining more teachers etc. I do not know if anyone has an answer to it but we need to focus on trying to quantifying in some way how one would set up supply teacher panels.

If Mr. Ó hAiniféin does not mind, I will put the next question in English. Will he expand on the difficulty of getting people who can teach the subjects as well as speak the language in post-primary Gaelcholáistí?