Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 559: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of people working in the primary sector as untrained teachers. [31882/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The total number of primary teachers is over 30,000 and this includes in the region of 520 untrained teachers. This figure may include some new teachers who are awaiting recognition of their existing qualifications by the Teaching Council which, when received, will enable their re-classification on the payroll to qualified teachers. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill vacancies in an individual primary school is a matter for the Board of Management of the school concerned. It is the policy of my Department that unqualified personnel should only be employed in exceptional circumstances and when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted. Unqualified personnel should therefore only be employed for short periods pending the recruitment of a fully qualified teacher.