Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

Will the public service recruitment embargo be an impediment if new recruits are required to address deficiencies in the education system? Will the embargo be set aside to ensure the level of competency is regularised across the system?

If one set out to design an education system, one would not design one as fragmented as that which is in place. We have a disconnect between those who pay teachers and those who employ them. How did we arrive at a position in which it was considered satisfactory to employ people who did not have the required skill sets? What strategic changes will be made to the system to ensure this problem does not recur? While it is fine to have the Teaching Council decide on levels of competence, the boards of management of schools cannot be compelled to employ anyone as they have the freedom to employ whom they wish. What action will the Department take to address this major difficulty? This problem could arise again if the disconnect to which I alluded is not addressed.

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