Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The situation is as the Deputy says. Postgraduates have fees of the order of €5,000, depending on the college, and it is now a two-year course, as the Deputy knows. This is one of the areas that will be examined by this group. I would point out that undergraduate access to post-primary teaching is now as large a source of supply and, with the new increase of 280 places at undergraduate level, it will become a significantly larger source of supply. We are ensuring young people can enter post-primary STEM education through an undergraduate route that does not require them to pursue a masters degree.

In reference to people who want to switch careers, that is one of the areas which I have asked the group to look at specifically, in particular the ways in which this can be better facilitated. The reply did point out, of course, that it is the Teaching Council which set the requirement of two years. There may be ways to be more flexible in the approach within that two years in order to encourage and support people who are switching careers. I take the Deputy's point that it is a good source of people to look to, in addition to the new entrants at undergraduate level.

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