Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate his active engagement on this and his acknowledgement that many initiatives have been introduced to mitigate where there are issues. Notwithstanding this, I absolutely accept there are particular challenges in some areas more so than others. The significant action that has been taken ensures that, for example, we have the third and fourth year students coming onstream. We have more than 1,700 of them now registered. As we speak, if we were to take one higher education institute as an example, more than 800 students are now available from Hibernia for substitution. We have looked at retired teachers and provided the abatement for them. More than 800 of them have made themselves available for substitution work. We have lifted the restrictions on those job sharing and on career break. As the Deputy is aware, post-primary teachers can work additional hours.

The Deputy referenced the review of the operation of the panels. No one knows more so than me the importance of having extended these panels. In 2019 there were six panels. Over the past two years this has increased to 151. This has been a very positive move. However, I am fair enough to acknowledge that clearly there are issues for some of the panels. It is important that we do a full review of how the panels are implemented and what potential there is to do things differently as we go forward. I understand the value of the panels and I want them to work better and more efficiently. Perhaps there is scope going forward.

I also want to acknowledge, and we need to look at it in the round, that significant development and enhancement in education has taken place in the past two years. Over the past three budgets I have consistently reduced the pupil-teacher ratio to an historic low of 23:1. This has meant more teachers are being employed. We have administrative leave days for teaching principals. This means more teachers are being employed. Equally, where there are two special classes in a school there is automatic installation of administrative principal status. This means more teachers are being employed. More and more teachers are coming into the system. Obviously we have to look at the issue of substitution.

We have made significant strides in initiatives in that regard. There is a meeting today and there will be more throughout the week. We are open to looking at everything that might address the issue.

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