Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for his reply. I had the opportunity to state in this House previously that it is not good enough that there are young teachers struggling to get work and yet schools around the country are hiring retired persons to fill substitute positions.

I welcome the fact the Minister issued, relatively recently, as did his predecessor, Ms Mary Coughlan, a circular to schools directing them to hire qualified teachers who are registered, obviously, with the appropriate qualifications.

The numbers may be relatively small on a macro level, but it is wrong if we send out a message that newly qualified persons will be denied a teaching opportunity and a person with a damn good pension is back in the classroom. I ask the Minister if he will take a zero tolerance approach to this issue. It is not the numbers who are in the classroom back from retirement but the very message that is wrong. Of course, for every retired person taking up a teaching position generally, it is denying a newly qualified person that opportunity to start his or her career.

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