Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We need to keep our belts tight but not so tight that we are busting at the seams. Teachers do a great deal of work for our future generations. We need to address the poor compensation they receive for correcting examination papers.

That problem is symptomatic of the wider issue of the shortage of teachers because the pay is not of a high grade when compared with the same positions internationally. The State Examinations Commission has stated that remuneration rates are increased in line with teachers' pay rates, which lead to an increase of 1% in examiner fee rates for 2018. That will increase for 2019 examinations in line with the pay restoration measures outlined in the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020.

If we are to stop the haemorrhaging of young qualified teachers abroad we need to examine this issue and ensure that in some way we can restore correct pay to a sector that is vital to our future.