Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 704: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 461 of 12 February 2008, the reason for the delay in obtaining the information required forwarded to this Deputy's office; if she will provide this Deputy with the information requested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11335/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I regret the delay in providing the previously requested information to the Deputy. This was due to pressure of work on my officials within the Department.

My Department's records show that the number of unqualified persons currently on a regular teaching contract of employment within the primary sector is 620. While I am anxious to reduce this number it should also be viewed in the context of the major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. In fact there are now in the region of 6,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002, bringing the current total to over 30,000.

Fully qualified second level teachers are paid at the appropriate point on the common basic salary scale for teachers together with appropriate qualification allowances. At present there are 274 teachers on a regular contract of employment within the post primary sector who are not in receipt of qualification allowances which indicates that they are not regarded as fully qualified for the teaching posts which they hold. The qualifications held by 143 of the teachers concerned are currently being assessed by the Teaching Council. The remaining 131 are not fully recognised either because of a lack of required training-in-teaching qualification in the specific subject(s) of the teaching post held.

Over 45,000 teachers who were already teaching in schools on the establishment day of the Teaching Council (28 March, 2006), following verification of their details, were automatically deemed registered at that date and have since renewed their registration. These teachers were registered under Section 31(2) of the Teaching Council Act. A number of these are unqualified and while they can be registered their certificate will indicate that they are not qualified teachers.

I assure the Deputy that I am acting in a considered way to deal with this issue. Firstly, I intend to commence Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act later this year. The effect of this will be that only registered teachers will be entitled to be paid on an ongoing or open-ended basis. Secondly, I will set out by regulation the restrictions to apply to the engagement of unregistered personnel. For the first time, schools will be legally required to use unregistered teachers only as an absolute last resort. I am also looking at the best manner in which this provision can be time limited. And thirdly, I have already increased the number of primary teacher training places this year.

I know that even with every possible measure taken to avoid the use of unregistered teachers, some schools may still need them to deal with emergency or short-term absences. But I believe that every child deserves to be taught by a qualified teacher and I am determined to keep the use of unregistered personnel to an absolutely unavoidable minimum.