Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of qualified primary teachers currently unable to find work or under-employed in part-time work; the number of student teachers currently in colleges including private colleges that will be seeking work in coming years; the number of full time positions filled in the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48633/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Teaching Council, the professional standards body for teachers, have been asked for advice on the matter of teacher supply and demand. The Council is currently working to provide that advice with the overall goal of ensuring that there is timely information to inform the system generally and for planning in my Department. The Teaching Council has established a Technical Working Group to pilot a draft model of teacher supply and a Consultative Forum for stakeholders which will offer advice and feedback on proposals developed by the Technical Working Group. I expect to receive an initial report from the Teaching Council shortly.

Information on the number of teachers out of work is not available in my Department. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. There were a thousand more teachers employed in schools around the country in the last school year, than there was the year before. There will be a further increase of circa 1,300 teachers in the current school year. This is a very significant investment at a time of scarce resources.

Teachers are appointed by the Management Bodies of schools. There are approximately 3,000 substitute teachers employed by School Authorities in any one day in the Primary Sector. A sub replacement service is operated by some Education Bodies. The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. My Department has issued a number of Circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Under these Circulars School Principals must maintain a list of unemployed registered teachers who are available for substitute work at short notice. Circular 31/2011 details a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers, prioritising an appropriately qualified registered teachers.

The information sought by the Deputy on number of full time positions filled in the past three years is not readily available in my Department in the format required by the Deputy. School authorities appoint teachers to full time posts on an ongoing basis when posts fall vacant, for example, to replace teachers who resigned or retired and to fill newly sanctioned posts.

The current average number of graduates from the State funded colleges is approximately 1300 per annum. Hibernia College expects in the region of 550 graduates per annum.