Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join others in congratulating Mr. Martin Groves on his appointment. I have no doubt that he will be a huge success in the position.

I wish to raise the issue today of the availability of substitute school teachers at primary and secondary level. School principals throughout the country are reporting making 20 or 30 phone calls to try to get teachers to step in when needed, unfortunately without success. The issue is causing serious problems at primary and secondary level. When a school cannot find a substitute to stand in for a teacher who is absent, a number of things must happen. Sometimes a class is divided and that causes disruption for students. Teachers cannot attend in-service days and principals are sometimes obliged to stand in for colleagues. Smaller schools are particularly badly hit, especially those with fewer than three teachers on the staff. Principals have no choice but to use their learning support or resource teachers to cover classes. This means that the who need the most help are, unfortunately, being discommoded and left out. Ultimately, they are the ones who lose out.The situation is very frustrating given that the first cohort of newly-qualified teachers with four years of training behind them completed their studies last year. Unfortunately, other countries are benefiting from the expertise of this country's teachers and nurses who have been educated to a very high standard but who are jumping on aeroplanes to travel to Dubai or the UK. It is a very unsatisfactory situation for the Minister to be overseeing. I would like it to be addressed for once and for all so that our children do not lose out.