Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 1380: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the shortage of woodwork teachers due to the building boom; if in particular her attention has further been drawn to the difficulties experienced by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9 which could not recruit a teacher for over three months due to this shortage; the steps she is taking to address the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2272/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The teacher supply and demand issue at second level is very complex. Analyses undertaken by my Department in the past indicated that there are regional and subject variations. A further complicating factor is that vacancies in second level schools usually require specific subject combinations.

By way of background I should point out that the teacher education section of my Department is responsible for teacher education and development, with particular regard to initial teacher education covering the colleges of education and the education departments in the universities and colleges. In the case of undergraduate courses for woodwork teachers, such as the degree in construction studies in the University of Limerick, the position is that my Department has a role in the provision of funding for these institutions on an individual basis through the Higher Education Authority, HEA. However, it is a matter for the individual institutions to decide on the number of places available on such courses in a manner similar to decisions taken on the annual intake for any particular course of study. My Department does not and cannot have a direct role in the regulation of the overall number of people who opt to pursue a particular qualification in these institutions.

My Department and the HEA will continue to review the supply and demand of second-level teachers on an ongoing basis. Arising from recommendations from the OECD report entitled Teachers Matter and other significant recent developments in relation to teacher education my Department will shortly commence an extensive consultative process with the education departments of universities and colleges with a view to enhancing the system-wide response to emerging concerns such as an under or over supply of teachers. Initial contacts with the colleges and education departments of universities have been positive.