Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a clear teacher supply action plan within the Department. That plan involves engagement with a variety of partners and educational stakeholders, not least in respect of demand and supply. The higher education institutions, HEIs, are involved in that action plan. We take great confidence from the fact that, via the CAO, insofar as teaching is a first option, we have seen an increase in the number of applications into the teaching world, and that is a positive. I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from, but it is not possible for us to control private providers across any spectrum. That is the nature of the private sector.