Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I rise to address a crisis that is eroding the very foundation of our education system, a crisis that this Government continues to ignore at the peril of our children’s futures. As schools reopened this year, more than 2,700 teaching posts remained unfilled across the country, with special schools and DEIS band 1 schools bearing the brunt of this shortage. In Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, more than half of schools reported unfilled positions. This forced principals to redeploy special education teachers to mainstream classes, thereby depriving our most vulnerable children of the support they desperately need. This is not just a staffing issue. It is a failure of planning, a failure of policy and a failure of political will. Meanwhile, over 4,600 Irish teachers are working abroad, many of were lured by better pay and living conditions. These are professionals whose education was funded by Irish taxpayers yet no substantial effort has been made to bring them home. A paltry €2,000 incentive is not enough when housing costs and living expenses in Ireland remain prohibitive.

We must do more and I propose the following measures. First, reduce career breaks to one year. I suggest we limit career breaks to a maximum of one year to ensure that our trained teachers remain within the Irish education system. Second, incentivise returning teachers. We must offer substantial financial incentives and support packages to Irish teachers abroad to encourage their return. Third, there should be a mandatory service period. Newly qualified teachers should be required to serve a minimum of three years in the Irish education system before seeking employment abroad. These steps are not about restricting freedom but, rather, ensuring that our investment in education yields returns for our own communities.

The current shortage is not just a statistic. It is a daily reality for schools forced to split classes, for children with special needs left without support and for principals overwhelmed by the impossible task of staffing their schools. I call on this Chamber to hold a debate on this issue, and I call on the Minister for Education to appear before us to join this discussion and answer questions. We cannot continue to ignore this crisis. It is time for decisive action to ensure that every child in Ireland has access to the quality education they deserve.