Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I believe the additional posts that have been announced will be a substantial benefit to the post-primary sector. We are very confident of the various pools that are available from which to draw those additional teachers, including the 1,300 who are currently job-sharing. For the first time, we will lift the bar on the number of hours teachers can work in terms of job-sharing. For the 2,800 teachers who are on part-time contracts, those hours can be extended. We also have the pool of students who are returning home and those who may choose not to go abroad.

There are substantial avenues for us to find the resources.

Following engagement with the Higher Education Authority, new initial teacher education, ITE, undergraduate programmes in a number of priority subject areas were put in place by higher education institutions for September 2019. Programmes included maths, modern foreign languages and Irish. More new undergraduate ITE programmes are planned for commencement this September. They will include Irish, modern foreign languages, mathematics and computer science. All of this will be of assistance.

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