Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am the first to acknowledge that these have been difficult and challenging times, not just currently but throughout the pandemic, for all school leaders and all school communities. There has been an extraordinary generosity by school leaders and school communities to do what needs to be done in the delivery of education and to pivot in other directions when it was not possible to maintain the delivery in the school setting and to provide remote teaching and learning.

I accept there are continuing challenges in the education sector. The Deputy referred in particular to substitution. I acknowledge that there has been extraordinary co-operation between the partners in education and others in finding a pathway forward. It is a considerable challenge, and it is more acute in some areas than others.

Significant measures have been put in place in recent weeks, and again this evening. Following positive engagement with the higher education institutions, HEIs, in recent weeks, including today, we are now in a position to say that there will be an opportunity for the HEIs to facilitate release of master’s in primary education, and BEd years 3 and 4 students to support schools up to the end of term. The HEIs have also agreed to explore flexible options on the assessment requirements for programmes in the context of students being available to support schools also, which is an important consideration. Retired teachers returning to the classroom until the end of the current term will not have their pensions impacted. Qualified teachers on secondment to the Department's teacher education support services will now be released and made available to schools. The continuing professional development, CPD, programmes, which are being followed at primary school, where substitution is required will be deferred until the mid-term break in February. It is intended that the programmes will be rescheduled following the mid-term break.

There will also be additionality added to the supply panels. A total of 100 teachers were added in the past week or so and a further 200 will be added bringing us to 680 teachers available on a full-time basis. There are also other measures.

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