Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not think many people in the education sector, especially the primary sector, get the sense that the Minister appreciates the scale of the crisis. The INTO, the IPPN and the Catholic Primary School Management Association had a joint survey of primary schools which, as the Minister knows, was published a number of weeks ago. It stated there are 800 vacancies in the primary school system. I visited a school in west Dublin that is operating at 45% capacity. This issue is particularly acute in Dublin. We have to come to the conclusion that much more drastic measures are required. Has the Minister given serious consideration to a Dublin allowance, similar to what has been available in London for the past 100 years? When there was an issue in London with the cost of living and public servants not being able to live and work in London, they found an answer and it worked. Is it time to consider a Dublin allowance for Dublin teachers?

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