Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 178 of 1 July 2014 to detail the number of relief teaching days allocated to teachers on a departmental pension in 2013-14 and the current school year at primary and post-primary, respectively; the steps being taken to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3336/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The most recent information available on retired teachers employed by managerial authorities of schools relates to the 2013/2014 school year.

During this period a total of 9,421 teaching days were worked by retired teachers. Retired Primary school teachers worked 5,259 days and retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools teachers worked 4,162 days. This is equivalent to 0.09% and 0.15% of the teaching allocation for the 2013/2014 school year in the respective sector.

A total of 537 retired teachers were employed during the 2013/14 school year: 302 retired Primary teachers and 235 retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive teachers. Seventy four percent of those teachers worked the equivalent of 20 days or less during the entire school year.

The employment of teachers is a matter for the school management authority. The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that school management authorities give priority to the employment of unemployed, registered and qualified teachers when filling vacant teaching posts. My Department has issued a number of circulars underpinning this policy in recent years.