Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that issues of working time and conditions recently raised at teacher conferences have exposed a prevailing and growing casualisation of labour within the teaching profession, which is to the detriment of the profession as a whole; if she will further recognise that for the public sector to increasingly move towards this eroding of workplace security sets a bad example for the private sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15462/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I am aware that the situation has arisen where over 30% of post-primary teachers and 10% of primary teachers are on fixed-term or part-time contracts. In my view this is detrimental to teachers and to the quality of teaching.

The Haddington Road Agreement provided for the establishment of an expert group to examine this issue in teaching. The chairperson of the group issued his report in September 2014 and I recently published circulars to give full effect to its recommendations. These new circulars will make it easier for teachers to get permanency and will also make it easier for part-time teachers to get full-time hours.

The work of another expert group on casualisation in third level is continuing. Also, at the recent IMPACT Educational Division Conference, I asked all relevant parties to come together to examine the factors that may be contributing to similar concerns for special needs assistants.