Written answers

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Department of Education and Skills

School Staffing

6:00 pm

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place to replace the up to 2,000 teachers that retired in February 2012; his plans to recruit additional teachers to fill these posts; if he will outline the advertisement and recruitment process and timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12902/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Vacancies created in the teaching profession by teachers who retired up to February 29th 2012 will be filled. Students and pupils will not be left without teachers to teach them as a result of retirements. Furthermore, the turnover in teaching staff will provide many newly qualified teachers with opportunities to gain employment.

The filling of vacancies in individual schools will be addressed by Boards of Management at school level. I am also seeking to reduce the impact of these retirements on students preparing for the State examinations. I am allowing schools to re-employ teachers who retired between 1 December 2011 and 29 February 2012, and who had been teaching classes due to sit State exams in 2012, until the end of the school year. In the case of teachers who are not teaching exam classes, replacements can be employed until the end of the school year, subject to the numbers framework.

The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example, schools are permitted to fill teaching vacancies that arise within their approved staffing allocations. I am confident that the large pool of qualified and registered teachers will be in a position to continue to provide high quality education to students.

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