Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I nearly feel like suggesting Dubai and the UAE should be making some contribution to the education system since they are getting the benefit of our graduates who come through really good teacher training programmes in the teacher training colleges. It is positive that the Minister went there, but those of us who are involved in education or know about it could tell him what the challenges are. Pay inequality is one and housing another. I know young teachers who have gone there. They say that if they go for two or three years, they will come back with at least the deposit for a house, if not the full price. That is fair enough for graduates who go directly after graduation. However, the phenomenon of teachers travelling abroad on career breaks has an impact on schools here. We have had terrible situations. It has got to the point where boards are having to refuse applications for career breaks because of the impact they are having. In fact, I know of a case where a person resigned rather than come back sooner than they had intended. Did the Minister meet any principal who was on a career break, or any teacher on a career break who was interested in a principalship? Are these vacancies part of the agenda, or will they be?

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