Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has issued or will issue circular letters to schools regarding the importance of appointing teachers to vacancies in schools which actually match the curricular needs of the school; if so, the year and number of the circular letter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27462/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of Primary and Post Primary schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. However my Department has issued a number of Circulars addressing this issue in recent years. Circular 31/2011 details a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers, prioritising registered teachers over retired registered teachers and unregistered people.

Circular Letter 31/2011 states that each employer shall ensure that each person proposed for appointment to a teaching post for which salary grant is being sought must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he/she is to be employed.