John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, informed the House last week that all teacher training courses will now include a period where the trainee teacher will work in a classroom for children with additional needs. That is welcome. However, I am concerned by the Department of education payroll review, which highlighted there were 1,800 vacant teaching positions within the system. Some 1,200 of the vacancies are in the primary sector. This correlates with the figures that the INTO has published, which show a significant number of vacant positions and schools having difficulty filling the roles. We have announced 400 additional classes for children with additional needs for this September. I have a great concern that schools will find it difficult to fill the roles associated with those new classes, which will provide schools with great challenges. Some measures have been taken to address the teacher shortage and the lack of teachers available, but the defining measure for me would be an increase in places in the colleges for teacher training. I know the University of Galway has indicated its desire to allow for a postgraduate programme for training primary teachers. I ask the Taoiseach to look at that.

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