Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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The Minister knows the importance of this issue for so many young people who have decided to make their career in the noble profession of teaching. When I became a primary school teacher 13 years ago, there were not so many people who were willing to take on that career. It was difficult to find people who wanted that career and to give of their time and expertise and involve themselves in that vocation. However, times have changed.

Unfortunately, in my constituency office I am encountering a number of not just students but also their parents who are extremely anxious about the future young teachers have in our system. It is not that they are asking me where are the jobs. Obviously, there have been changes in the training schedule for teachers. There are new online courses to which the previous Government gave recognition. That is fair enough and we are where we are in that regard. We have a number of newly qualified teachers but we do not have jobs for them. That is a fact. It might change over time because of the number of students coming into the system, which is expected to be nearly 70,000 over the next few years. That gives some hope.

However, the problem is not just the inability to obtain employment, but also the inability to even get probated. After a three year degree it is necessary to spend almost a year in the classroom to be inspected and given one's diploma, or what is known within the profession as the "dip", to be properly probated, after which one can become a fully permanent teacher. The students I have encountered are dying to get into the classroom and have their own class, but they must be probated before they can seek employment within the system. It is devastating for them that they cannot even get their foot in the door. We have discussed previously what is happening in the system. It is an issue across Ireland. When a teacher takes maternity leave or where a long-term substitution is required, it is not the newly qualified teacher who tends to be called immediately, but a retired teacher or somebody well known to the school. The problem is that the new teachers who need to get into the system to be probated and have the chance to be more employable are not given that opportunity.

I wish to put this on the record of the House and to discuss with the Minister ways of overcoming it. It is not necessarily simply the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills. Obviously, teacher unions, management bodies and the patrons who oversee those management bodies have a role. Nobody wants a situation where newly qualified teachers who simply want to get started on their teaching career cannot even get the most basic validation of their teaching qualification, being probated in a classroom, from which they could move on and, hopefully, get their teaching career started. Ireland is going through a difficult time and we have a difficulty in financing the type of teacher body we require. Everybody accepts and understands that the bulk of what we spend on education goes on pay. However, for the dreams and aspirations of these teachers, not even being able to get started at the first point on the scale is something that must be addressed. I look forward to the Minister's comments in that regard.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy has raised the important issue of the probation of newly qualified teachers, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it.

The period between qualification and fully independent practice as a teacher is a vital stage of the newly qualified teacher's career. It is important that coherent and supportive induction and probation structures are in place to facilitate the newly qualified teacher's development as a practising professional during this phase. In Ireland, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority, under the Teaching Council Act 2001, for the professional regulation of teachers. All teachers must successfully complete induction and probation requirements specified by the Teaching Council to achieve full registration. The work of the Teaching Council, on behalf of the profession of teaching and in the interests of the public, is grounded in the values of professionally-led regulation, shared professional responsibility and collective professional confidence.

The council is introducing a new model of induction and probation for primary and post-primary teachers on a pilot basis. Central to this new model is a period of post-qualification professional practice called Droichead, the Irish for bridge. I look forward to the outcomes of the pilot. The Teaching Council works closely with my Department to ensure appropriate supports for newly qualified teachers are in place. The Department funds the national induction programme for teachers, NIPT, which provides a comprehensive and systematic support to all newly qualified teachers through workshops, mentoring support at school level, online resources and professional support groups.

I am aware that some newly qualified teachers experience difficulty in accessing teaching hours to complete their probation for registration purposes because they do not yet hold a teaching position in a school. However, measures have been taken by the Department and the Teaching Council to alleviate difficulties faced by new teachers. There are standard arrangements in place for filling teaching vacancies. In this regard, the Department has directed managerial authorities of schools to recruit unemployed teachers ahead of retired ones, in an effort to ease the difficulties for those who cannot find work in the profession. In addition, the JobBridge national internship scheme can provide newly qualified teachers with opportunities to gain experience and to undertake the necessary teaching duties to complete the process of probation.

The minimum service requirement for probation purposes to secure registration with the Teaching Council was decreased from 170 days to 100 days in the 2011-12 school year. If a registered teacher is unable to complete the requirements of a registration condition within the specified period, the teacher may apply to the council for an extension to that period. Each application is considered on its merits taking account of the stage reached by the applicant in meeting the requirements.

In conclusion, I assure the House that every effort has been made to address the difficulties faced by newly qualified teachers while also maintaining the professional standards of the teaching profession.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. Perhaps he would expand on it. He said the Department has directed the managerial authorities of schools to recruit unemployed teachers ahead of retired ones.

Will the Minister indicate how successful this initiative has been? As stated, this matter could be tackled by means of a cohesive approach across the entire education system. I am sure those who work within that system would agree that we must give the best and fairest start to those commencing their careers. The Department, teachers' unions and managerial and patron bodies have a part to play.

The teachers to whom I refer are seeking fairness in the context of starting out on their careers in education. We must ask whether it is fair to take into the system each year the numbers that are currently being taken in for jobs that just do not exist. Effectively, are we just training these young teachers for export? I intend no criticism of what is happening in the context of the online course. The latter has been given recognition and such recognition cannot be withdrawn. However, there must be some mechanism whereby we can control the number of teachers entering the system because otherwise these individuals will be given completely false hope. The latter has been the position with regard to those graduating from the more traditional teacher training colleges in recent years.

I am interested in the Minister's response to these matters. We are trying, on a non-partisan basis across the House, to assist those who those who obtain excellent leaving certificate results - they are the best academic results achieved by people in that age group anywhere in Europe - who have decided to enter a profession in which there are difficulties and challenges and which does not necessarily offer levels of remuneration as high as those available elsewhere in the economy and who are trying to get into classrooms but who cannot even get probated. The Minister accepts the difficulties to which this matter gives rise for people. I would appreciate it if he could indicate how the managerial bodies have dealt with the request from his Department and comment on the oversupply of teachers in the system.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The managerial bodies are the employers. As I have stated on many occasions, there is a public private partnership arrangement in the education system between the State, on one hand, and the patron bodies or employers on the other. We can urge, make requests and engage in dialogue, but we cannot give direction to employers in the context of who they can or cannot employ. Since I became Minister for Education and Skills, we have strongly emphasised that in short-term situations where a crisis exists and in isolated parts of the country, the only person available to perform classroom functions may be a qualified teacher who is retired. That is a short-term emergency function and it should be for no longer than a week at the outset. In the context of predictable structured absences of extended duration, such as those relating to maternity or compassionate leave, management bodies should respond to the calls from unions and others to give preference to young teachers.

I am referring here to teachers who are qualified and probated. The point the Deputy has highlighted relates to an even more acute situation whereby young teachers cannot avail of enough days - now 100 as distinct from 170 - to allow them to be considered qualified and probated. The co-operation of the unions is required in this regard. The latter must accept into their ranks newly qualified teachers who are attempting to obtain probationary positions without being used in any way as substitutes for full-time teachers. There is a question of trust in this regard. I have a track record on this matter. When I introduced community employment programmes, there was no dislodgement of legitimate employees when newly qualified teachers were brought into the system on a short-term basis.

The Deputy's second point relates to supply. I accept that perhaps there is an oversupply of teachers, but those teachers are not just being trained for the national market. Teachers are in short supply internationally. Britain is our nearest neighbour. There is a crisis in southern England - from The Wash down to the south coast - as a result of the shortage of highly qualified teachers. As the Deputy pointed out, teachers trained in this country are very well regarded internationally. Likewise, there is a demand in the United Arab Emirates for professional teachers with Irish backgrounds. That is an option of which young Irish citizens may very well want to avail. The problem does not necessarily lie with the online college because some people in their mid-20s, having gone through the initial undergraduate phase, may decide that they want to transfer and they take the conversion course as a result. There is a balance to be struck between the three. There is a problem in this regard and I am glad the Deputy has brought it to my attention.