Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask the Taoiseach about the growing crisis in education in Dublin, where many schools are reporting that teachers are leaving to find positions in other parts of the country because they cannot afford to rent or the price of buying homes in Dublin. One Dublin school has reported that six teachers have left to work outside of Dublin, where accommodation costs are not as high. Some 55% of secondary school principals say they have unfilled vacancies, and an incredible 84% of principals who then advertise those vacancies say not a single teacher applies for the jobs. The consequence is that some Dublin schools seem likely to have to cut optional subjects. Una Mullally pointed out in a recent article that a teacher starting out in a secondary school in Dublin will pay two thirds of his or her income on very modest accommodation. Is the Taoiseach going to do anything about this? Will he at least agree to give teachers an inflation-linked pay increase? If he will not act to bring rents down, as he should, will he consider a premium for teachers working in Dublin?

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