Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Pay increases for teachers kick in this week. Teachers will receive their pay increase from the Department of Education in their payslips this week and throughout the month. It includes the back pay to February, which will obviously help financially. We have a teacher shortage of which we are very much aware and we are working on solutions. I believe the IPPN conference is happening today, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, will be there and will engage with the IPPN. It has made some good suggestions to which we need to give good consideration. I am told that much of the shortage is linked to this move away from the HDip to a two-year masters, which has knocked out the best part of a year's supply. I am not sure whether that was anticipated but it ought to have been. However, it will wash its way out of the system.

See this speech in context