Ms Mary Grennan:

There are temporary teachers. In my experience working with a number of different providers here in Ireland and also as an inspector of language centres internationally, I see many intensive programmes in, for example, France where Irish students are going to learn French in the summer - the opposite of what is happening here in Ireland. Very often those teachers who work temporarily in the summer may be primary and secondary school teachers who are doing something in the summer to supplement their income. There are not that many examples today of, as the Deputy just mentioned, students coming from UCD to work in the summer. That does not really happen anymore. They would be more working as activity leaders taking students to visit the National Museum or something like that.

ESL is a career for many teachers. It is very highly developed. In countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and, increasingly, in Ireland, it is a career. Many of my friends and colleagues have been in the sector for over 20 years and it has become their career. With the IEM, we are looking to have a system in place for continuous professional development and to help these teachers develop to ultimately become academic managers or teacher trainers, or develop in the sector as much as possible. That will become part of the requirements of the code of practice.