Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the delay in introducing legislation to ensure unemployed teachers get priority for available teaching posts has led to a situation in which in December 2012, 22 out of 104 retired primary teachers employed in schools were on long-term contracts and that 82 retired teachers were employed as short-term substitutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12189/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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In May 2011 my Department issued circular 31/2011 which sets out a cascading set of measures for appointment of teachers with effect from September 2011. These measures are stringent and require schools to prioritise unemployed teachers over those in receipt of a pension where possible.

It should be remembered that the schools themselves employ teachers. Some 55,666 teachers were employed in primary, voluntary secondary and community and comprehensive schools and paid by my Department in December 2012 - this excludes VEC schools. Of those 55,666 only 153, 0.27%, of these teachers were also in receipt of a pension.

Feedback from schools indicates that the reasons for recruitment of retired teachers include the number and pattern of hours available at school level; the paucity of appropriately qualified and registered teachers who are not retired in certain areas, such as special needs; and the unavailability, at short notice, of appropriately registered teachers who are not retired.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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While 153 retired teachers is a small number relative to the overall amount, given the number of newly qualified teachers who are struggling to find work, it is unacceptable that the circular issued by the Department is being flouted by so many schools. It is up to the schools to employ the teachers, but when the Department issues a circular instructing that priority must be given to newly qualified teachers, that needs to be done.

The Minister outlined the feedback from schools - I know he said in January that he would contact the schools. Two of the reasons were that the hours available were so small that retired teachers would fit that and that they had the specialist qualifications such as in the area of special needs. I missed the third one and the Minister might repeat it in his supplementary reply.

Does the Minister have a breakdown of the 153 retired teachers who were rehired on contract? How many of them were special needs teachers?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I do not have a breakdown of those teachers. The reply to a later question gives a breakdown of the distribution of the teachers and I can give it to the Deputy then. We are continuing to press the matter with the schools' boards of management and the unions. There are texting services for getting at short notice relief teachers where there are vacancies. However, in some cases the school may be located in a place without a young teacher wishing to take up the hours and they may be very limited anyway.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Was the third reason location?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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To facilitate the Deputy I will repeat part of the earlier reply. Feedback from schools indicates that the reasons for recruitment of retired teachers include the number and pattern of hours available at school level; the paucity of appropriately qualified and registered teachers who are not retired in certain skill areas, such as special needs; and the unavailability, at short notice, of appropriately registered teachers who are not retired.