Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a permanent Irish teaching post has not been filled in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12; his views on this matter; and his plans to make provision for an additional full-time teacher. [48538/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to have been in a position to significantly expand the recruitment of teachers at primary and post primary levels. Some 2,300 new teachers were recruited in 2016-2017 and 2,900 will be recruited in 2017-2018. The figure of 2,900 is 21% more than the number announced in budget 2017 so we have in fact been able to recruit more new teachers than we have announced. All of the 2016-2017 posts have been successfully filled and the process for filling the additional posts in the current year is almost complete. We are successfully filling the posts that we are making available.

However, I am aware that some schools have experienced difficulty in recruiting adequately qualified teachers in particular subjects, including Irish, and I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing this issue. My Department has been made aware of the case of the school referred to by the Deputy.

I have taken certain initiatives to address some of the supply pressures in particular subjects. These include, as part of the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, increasing from 2018/19 the number of places available on the existing Irish medium post primary initial teacher education programme in NUIG, to which I have granted two additional posts from September 2017. This measure will strengthen the Irish-language proficiency of newly qualified teachers across a range of subjects and, it is anticipated, also increase the supply of Irish language teachers.

I have also undertaken measures to increase the pool of teachers available to schools, in particular to fill short term vacancies. My Department informed all teachers retiring in 2017 that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days or to supervise the State examinations, a teacher must maintain his/her registration with the Teaching Council. My Department also increased the limits for employment while on career break at post primary level to a maximum of 300 hours in a school year and at primary level to a maximum of 90 days in a school year. 

The Deputy will be aware of the report of the Technical Working Group on teacher supply, ‘Striking the Balance’ which, while focussing on the development of a model of primary teacher supply, outlined the work which will be required to establish a long term model of post-primary teacher supply. The Deputy will appreciate that there are difficulties in developing a reliable model of teacher supply at second level and this was recognised in the work of the Teaching Council as teaching is competing with many other sectors for graduates in areas like Maths, Science, and Irish.  The Teaching Council, which has an advisory role in this matter, recently convened a consultative forum on teacher supply with relevant stakeholders with the aim of producing teacher supply proposals and I look forward to seeing the report from this forum which will further inform our thinking in this matter. 

I am currently reviewing with my Department other potential initiatives on teacher supply. In that context my Department intends engaging with the various stakeholders, including school management bodies and the HEA, regarding further actions in this area.