Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to the House and thank the Cathaoirleach's office for selecting this Commencement matter this afternoon. I submitted it following representations from a group of independent teachers who operate under the name "fair post-primary redeployment for teachers". The group currently has 300 members nationwide, all of whom feel there is no way out of the situation they face.

I am sure it is a source of great celebration when teachers become permanent or are awarded a contract of indefinite duration, CID, and become permanent employees in their school but if, for whatever reason, they wish to move school or county, their choices are limited. In many cases, they would lose their permanency. Teachers who work for education and training boards, ETBs, for example, the Galway and Roscommon ETB or the Laois and Offaly ETB, can be redeployed but only within the specific ETB which limits the amount of options available. As I understand it, nurses, gardaí, primary school teachers and most public servants have the option of redeployment which is all the more frustrating for post-primary teachers who wish to move.

There is a post-primary voluntary redeployment scheme, applications for which must be made by February each year and decisions have to be made quite quickly. Some decisions will be made before vacancies are announced and before teachers have made the decision to retire or move on. Under the scheme, redeployment must be completed by the end of May each year so for the Department to complete a redeployment, schools have to be made aware of any vacancies - most likely retirements - by the end of May, which is a problem.

Teachers feel there is no way out if they want to work closer to home. I know of one woman in County Galway who teachers in County Cork. She just got married to a guy from Galway and they live in Galway. They have a mortgage and this is putting pressure on their marriage. Another member of the aforementioned group lives with his young wife and family in County Galway and travels to County Meath each day to work. They have to pay a mortgage so he cannot just give up a job in the hope that he will be made permanent in a new school. Again, this is putting the relationship under pressure.

A motion was passed at the Teacher's Union of Ireland, TUI, congress calling on the executive council of the union to negotiate with the Department of Education and other employers to establish a national voluntary redeployment panel and to ensure that those teachers who wish to relocate would keep their permanent or CID status. The motion called on the Department and other employers in the post-primary education sector to devise an appropriate online portal through which teachers seeking voluntary redeployment could enter their details to seek a direct swap with a matching teacher seeking a reverse relocation. Teachers believe that the establishment of such a scheme is essential for the well-being of teachers who may have to travel for hours daily to and from work. A guy living in Galway who works in Offaly travels 160 km per day. If he were to get a position within 10 km of his home that would mean 140 km less driving every day, not to mention 140 km worth of emissions. If the teacher who swaps with him does the same, then 280 km worth of carbon emissions would be saved per day. In a standard school year that equates to 46,480 km less driving for those two teachers, greatly enhancing their quality of life.It makes sense on paper. There may be issues with it but I ask for positive engagement from the Department, unions and school patrons on this.