Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister's statement that it is departmental policy to employ only qualified teachers. However, I ask her how she plans to implement that policy? If I was marking the Minister's card I would say she must try harder because it is obvious she is not implementing the policy. Tens of thousands of qualified teachers have to pay a registration subscription of €90 a year and they are unemployed while up to 400 unqualified teachers are still working. Rather than telling me it is the policy of the Department, what is the Minister doing to address this situation? Modern technology must make it very easy and I am unable to understand how the Minister can say it is impossible to contact qualified teachers. It should be very easy to contact them because they are waiting for the call.

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