Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the absence of sufficient substitute teachers in the west Waterford area at both primary and secondary level; the measures his Department plans to deal with the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50323/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to shortages of suitably qualified substitute second level teachers for French, English and maths in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area; the measures his Department plans to deal with the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50324/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together.

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 are being 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 reported difficulties in recruiting substitute teachers at primary level and in certain subjects at post primary level, and I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing these issues.

Regarding issues around finding substitution at primary level, there are strong career opportunities in teaching and the number of permanent full-time positions are currently increasing at over 1,000 per year in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. Due to the additional permanent positions being created, young teachers have greater opportunities to take on permanent positions, and as a result some schools may be experiencing issues in hiring teachers to fill temporary or substitute roles, which arise in schools for a number of reasons, including covering sick leave and career breaks.

At post primary level I have taken certain initiatives to address some of the supply pressures in particular subject areas. 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 increased from 85 to 101 the number of students admitted to St Angela’s, Sligo to follow the Home Economics ITE programme in the current year, with further expansions in future years being considered.

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 primary level to a maximum of 90 days in a school year. In addition, as a longer term measure, under my Department’s Gaeltacht Policy, an RFT is currently being developed for a new Irish-medium B.Ed. (primary teaching) ITE programme.

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, particularly 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 has engaged with the HEA with a view to obtaining baseline data to support future policy decisions in this area. My Department also intends engaging with other stakeholders, including school management bodies, in this matter.