Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is neither possible nor appropriate to attempt to separate measures such as those impacting on the pay of new entrants from their context. These measures have to be viewed against the backdrop of a very serious financial and budgetary situation. They reflect a position where this country has lost its economic sovereignty and simply no longer has full control over its economic affairs.

Reductions in the pay of new entrant public servants, including teachers, date back to the last Government. More recently, this Government has made further adjustments on foot of the allowances review. In the case of teachers, while there has been a small decline in applications to the bachelor of education for primary teaching between 2011 and 2012, the overall number of applications remains high. A similar trend obtains for the professional diploma in education, which is the main route to post-primary teaching. It is significant that successful applicants to the bachelor of education courses in 2012 continue to be from the top quartile of leaving certificate students in terms of points.

Ireland has always attracted students of the highest calibre to the teaching profession, a profession that enjoys the respect, trust and high regard of the public, and I am confident that this will continue to be in the future.

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