John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I would like to make a couple of points in support of this technical Bill, which amends the Education Act 1998 and the Teaching Council Act 2001. Before I raise a few issues, I should mention that like most Deputies who are present, I have worked as a teacher in the past. I ended up working as an unqualified mathematics and science teacher by accident.

In the early years of the last decade I was a teacher for a short period to cover maternity leave. While I enjoyed the work I discovered that teaching was not for me. I echo some of the sentiments expressed by Deputy Dowds in his comments about the issues concerning the appointment, suspension, dismissal and redeployment of teachers. Certain individuals are not cut out for the job of teaching even though they are teachers. I was in the happy position of covering a six-month maternity leave and I could walk away but many individuals are not happy in their work and this is transmitted to their students. There needs to be a mechanism for dealing with this situation.

I agree with Deputy Dowds regarding the role of boards of management in the issues of suspension and dismissal of teachers. I served on the board of management of my local national school for a number of years. In most communities, the parents, staff and members of the board of management of the school are part of that local community. They are in daily contact with one another. It can be very difficult for any board member to have to deal with the question of suspension or dismissal of a teacher who is a friend or neighbour. I agree with Deputy Dowds's suggestion of providing for input from departmental inspectors in this regard.

I have two issues of concern which I wish to raise and to which Deputy Lawlor referred in his contribution. The last day of February marked the date for a large number of retirements from the public service and many teachers in particular. It is imperative that temporary teaching positions and cover for maternity leave or illness, should not be provided to retired teachers rather than to young, unemployed qualified teachers of which there are very many. As mentioned by Deputy Lawlor, they are looking for teaching experience but they are unable to obtain a post because up to now these positions were being filled by retired teachers. This is not appropriate and the Minister has issued circulars to this effect but he needs to reiterate this message.

My final issue relates to the Teaching Council. In advance of the referendum campaign I was canvassing last Saturday in Piltown, in south County Kilkenny, which Deputy Mattie McGrath will know well as it is near Carrick-on-Suir. I met a woman who has been teaching for more than 20 years. Through no fault of her own, she missed the deadline by a day or two for her payment of the €90 fee to the Teaching Council, to which Deputy Dowds referred. As a consequence, she must now wait to be vetted and will be charged an increased fee in order to be included on the Teaching Council's list. In my view, it is a peculiar system. If she had applied a day earlier, she would not be required to be vetted. She has worked as a teacher for 20 years and is a highly qualified, successful and good teacher. The vetting process will take a number of months in her case and in my view it seems draconian, to say the least. Everybody acknowledges the necessity for vetting of people who deal with children but this person has worked successfully as a teacher for over 20 years. I hope similar situations will not arise. I hope the Minister will take up the suggestion made by Deputy Dowds with regard to departmental inspectors helping boards of management to deal with difficult decisions relating to the suspension and dismissal of teachers. It is a very worthy suggestion that deserves to be accepted.

See this speech in context