Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that children have qualified and engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority. In particular, budget 2024 contains a number of measures that demonstrate my commitment to continued investment in our education system. In addition to numerous actions that have been taken in recent years to address teacher supply, a number of specific and targeted measures will be introduced with the new funding provided. A professional masters of education, PME, incentive scheme is being introduced for newly qualified teachers graduating in 2024. Those newly qualified teachers who graduate with a PME will, subject to some conditions, be eligible for an incentive payment of up to €2,000. Additionally, there will be an expansion in the number of upskilling programmes available. These programmes will increase the number of teachers who are qualified to teach in-demand subjects, including Irish, French, politics and society, and computer science, and will be in addition to the existing programmes in respect of physics, Spanish and maths. Also, an extra 1,000 posts of responsibility are being provided for in the school system for the 2024-25 school year.

These new measures are in addition to other measures, for example, approving 610 additional places on initial teacher education and meeting the primary teacher initial education providers. In 2023, more than 2,700 student teachers have made themselves via registering with the Teaching Council to provide support to our schools.

The operation of primary substitute teacher supply panels will continue in the 2023-24 school year, with 590 teaching posts covering almost 3,000 schools allocated. Retired teachers are being encouraged to provide substitute cover. Interestingly, an increase of more than 49% in teaching days provided by retired teachers has been noted. Restrictions preventing job sharing teachers or teachers on career breaks from working as substitutes have been removed. Ensuring that post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of cover has also been enacted. The average student-teacher ratio in primary schools reduced by 10% between 2017 and 2023, the lowest ever seen.

Teaching remains an attractive career. CAO first preference choices for post-primary teaching increased this year by 14%, which is in addition to the 9% increase last year. Many initiatives are being taken to recognise that there are challenges.

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