Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment our spokesperson, Deputy Thomas Byrne, on tabling this issue in Private Members' time. The crisis in teaching and its impact on our education system, if unresolved, will cause long-term damage to our economy. If we do not restore the prestige of the teaching profession, in how we value it as a society and how we reward it by way of salary, the best young men and women will not choose teaching as a career. Ongoing pay inequality has resulted in a recruitment and retention crisis for teachers. There are also major difficulties for schools in securing substitute teachers when required.

Recent reports of a total collapse in the number of people applying for teacher training courses are no surprise. The costs of training keep increasing and more and more of the burden is put on prospective teachers. Prospective teachers pay more in fees to qualify and receive lower pay when they complete their training. At present, the cost of training is almost €11,000 and people simply cannot afford such fees. Evidence of the crisis is there for all to see and it is reflected in the fall in applications for teaching courses, the difficulty recruiting examiners, the extra €80 million needed in 2017 as projected teacher retirements doubled, the record number of retired teachers plugging school gaps, and the 3,000 unqualified teachers employed in the system. Action is required now. The Government must engage seriously with all stakeholders, including the Opposition, parents, teachers, the unions and employers. The Government must acknowledge there is a crisis. It must also realise that although this crisis happened because of the recession, the recession can no longer be used as an excuse for the Government's continuing inaction.

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