Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

There is not a lack of teachers; it is full-time permanent teaching posts of which there is a lack. Why would a young teacher who is thinking of emigrating after Christmas stick around for a one-year contract? Why would a person who has already emigrated come back for a one-year contract? Teachers coming back to Dublin or Cork will be asked to pay €25,000 a year rent in one city and €20,000 a year in the other. The Government let the market set the price for the pay of chief executive officers of banks. It broke the €500,000 ceiling because bankers were going to London, Paris or Frankfurt for work. It plays a completely different set of rules, however, for teachers and other key workers, such as nurses. They go to Australia or Canada but the Government keeps their pay at levels that do not allow them to live a decent life. To add insult to injury, the Government is trying to put the blame on teachers by attempting to make this a debate about career breaks. It needs to back off on that one.

This issue creates real problems for students. Schools that cannot recruit or retain teachers are doubling up on classes. Subjects are being dropped, unqualified teachers are being drafted in to teach classes and principals are shoring up the situation by bringing in special needs assistants to plug the gap.

I congratulate the parents and teachers of Coolmine Community School in Dublin West, who are campaigning to highlight these issues and pushing for change. If their example was followed across the country, that would be very positive. If the teacher unions were to campaign and take action on this issue, there would be a high level of public support.

There are many things the Government could do. It could bring back the posts of responsibility and pay for them. Opening that up again would be a positive step.

Ultimately, this is about permanent posts and affordable housing. The vacancies should not be advertised as temporary posts. Every vacancy should be made a permanent position. If the Government does that, the so-called teacher shortage crisis will quickly come under control. It needs to make the temporary posts permanent and tackle the issue of affordable housing.

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