John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This is an important matter. It calls on the Minister for Education to introduce a voluntary national post-primary redeployment panel which would facilitate the transfer of teachers from one area of the country to another while retaining their permanent status under contracts of indefinite duration, CIDs. As someone who taught in an education and training board, ETB, school in Waterford city until my election to this House, I know this issue very well. I had colleagues who commuted very long distances to work. Some are happy to do so while others wish to be closer to home but cannot move because they would risk their job security. It is a fact that some teachers are commuting up to 200 km per day, probably more, which is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. That is even before one considers the carbon emissions involved. I know the Minister of State will say that a teacher in one area can apply for employment in another in the normal fashion. However, that misses the point that doing so involves risk. In the best-case scenario, everything works out and the teacher is interviewed again after 12 months, which is another bugbear of mine that I will not pursue now. In that best-case scenario, everything works out and the teacher has a permanent contract, going forward. However, let us consider a worst-case scenario. A teacher leaves a permanent position in Waterford and takes a 12-month contract in Cork. After 12 months, the teacher re-interviews for the position and the job is given to someone else or the hours are reduced. That leaves the teacher in a vulnerable position. Perhaps the teacher has family and mortgage commitments. It is easy to see why teachers would not risk leaving a permanent position in one location to seek employment in another, even though it would be better for them and would allow them to be closer to their families, obligations and support networks.

A group of teachers operates under the name "fair post-primary redeployment for teachers". The group has been campaigning on this issue for some time. Its membership totals approximately 700 teachers nationwide, all of whom feel that this is a necessary change. I agree with them. There is a redeployment scheme in place on a yearly basis but only a small number of applicants are successful. One of the reasons is that one must apply in February for redeployment but schools in a particular area may not know they have a shortage until much later and closer to the next academic year. The number of teachers who are successfully redeployed is small. The group is seeking something I support, that is, the introduction of a voluntary scheme that would facilitate the transfer of a teacher from one location to another if there is a matching teacher in the other location. Perhaps a PE teacher in Waterford is looking to move closer to family in Wicklow and a PE teacher in Wicklow is looking to move to Waterford. How can that not be facilitated? It makes complete sense. Those teachers are unhappy in their workplaces. The schools have two unhappy teachers who want to be closer to home and their support networks. If you are unhappy in your working environment, you cannot give your all in the classroom, and that negatively affects students. It makes complete sense to facilitate such a transfer of teachers between locations. I suggest that a dialogue commences between the Department, the ETBs and the unions on this matter. It has been put on the long finger for far too long. It makes sense. I ask the Minister of State to relay that message to the Minister, Deputy Foley. Dialogue needs to commence as a matter of urgency.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to teacher redeployment schemes operating in post-primary schools. I am responding to the matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I note the points the Senator has raised about redeployment. I will bring those back to the Minister and will highlight the points the Senator has made.

Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by the Department of Education in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school management annually and are available on the Department's website.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for each individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the individual school management authorities.

Post-primary schools employ teachers with the appropriate subject mix to provide for a range of subjects that can be offered to students. It is an important aspect of the annual timetabling process that schools work towards achieving this outcome where possible. Matching the subject mix on offer with the qualifications of individual teachers who typically have more than one subject can be a challenging task for schools. It is important that schools as employers retain the flexibility to employ teachers with the capacity to teach varied subjects to maintain a wide range of subjects on offer to students. I note the point the Senator raised in respect of the February deadline and that is a matter I will highlight to the Minister.

The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Such a scenario may occur in instances where enrolment drops in a school.

Redeployment may also arise in instances where the qualifications of teachers no longer match the subject needs of the school or where surpluses arise from the inclusion of career break and secondment service in the eligibility criteria for granting a contract of indefinite duration. This scheme includes provision for a teacher in a surplus school who wishes to volunteer to redeploy from that school to another location subject to the agreement of school management. Where this occurs, compulsory redeployment can be avoided. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers and help to provide a supply of teachers to fill vacancies.

Following discussions and agreement with relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in that region. To date, the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme helps the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all the surplus permanent teachers. Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner. I have no doubt but that the Senator will address some of the points I have raised.

Since the introduction of redeployment at post-primary level, more than 800 teachers have been redeployed ensuring an equitable and fair teacher allocation system to all schools. The teacher redeployment arrangements are reviewed annually by the Department of Education involving the education stakeholders, including teacher unions and management bodies. It is open to members of the school community to liaise with their representative bodies on any matters of concern they may have.

As part of the review, the education stakeholders can raise issues or concerns with the Department in respect of the operation of the redeployment process generally. The review in respect of the 2023-2024 redeployment process took place last December with education stakeholders.

The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023-2024 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023-2024 school year is available on the Department's website.

John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Minister of State is only relaying the information he has been given. He made comments in respect of the operation of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme, which is fantastic for counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly, but what about every other county in the country? There are teachers in those areas who want to get closer to home and if there is a matching teacher in another location, it does not make sense for a redeployment not to be facilitated. A teacher should be able to move from one location to another while retaining his or her permanence and without risking job security, considering all of the obligations a teacher may have. We cannot recommend to an individual that he or she take such a risk. The scheme only applies to surplus staff.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, responded to my colleague, Senator Seán Kyne, in the Chamber last year on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. She said that "... the only way to reach a solution to an issue is through positive engagement around the table". I could not agree more, but that has not happened. I am suggesting dialogue between the Department of Education, the ETBs and the unions to come up with an acceptable scheme that makes sense to facilitate teachers who wish to move from one location to another while retaining their permanence.Anything less would just be tinkering around the edges. It makes sense and it needs to happen soon.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Cummins again for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the position on the different redeployment schemes operating in the post-primary sector and how the voluntary transfer scheme helps to deliver on the important objective of successfully redeploying surplus post-primary teachers to where they are needed most. I note the point he has made in respect of the pilot schemes. It has operated in 24 counties but not all at once. At present it operates in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly. I note the point Senator Cummins has raised and I will bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Foley. I also note the point Senator Cummins has raised on dialogue and engagement between the Department of Education, the education and training boards and the unions, and I will bring it back to the Minister. Dialogue is key.

It is important that the voluntary aspect of the redeployment process does not inadvertently cause undue delays for the recruitment of teachers by schools or cause additional challenges to teacher supply throughout the country. Members of the school community are advised to discuss areas of concern with their representative bodies. The review in respect of the 2023-24 redeployment process took place last December with education stakeholders and the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in the four counties I have named. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools, including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023-24 school year, are available on the Department of Education's website. I note the points Senator Cummins has raised and I will bring them to the attention of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for her consideration.