Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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188. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to address the shortage of substitute teachers in guidance, modern languages, Irish and home economics specifically. [51596/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding substitute teachers in STEM subjects; if his Department has encountered difficulties securing sufficient substitutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51769/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has discussed with the Teaching Council to fast-track the qualification of suitably qualified graduates, for example engineers, to qualify as teachers in STEM subjects both in terms of filling vacancies and contracted substitutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51770/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 188, 197 and 198 together.

In 2016/17 and in 2017/18, I provided for the recruitment of in the region of 3,000 teachers at post-primary level.  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 and are in the process of actually hiring 2,900 teachers - 21% more than the number announced in Budget 2017.

However, I am aware that some schools have reported difficulties in recruiting teachers in certain subjects at post primary level, and I am committed to examining all possible means of addressing these issues.

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 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 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 reviewing a number of options in order to incentivise students to undertake the two year Professional Masters in Education, including financial incentives.  Specifically, in the recently launched STEM and Foreign Languages in Education Implementation Plans, my Department has committed to undertake baseline data collection and analysis to inform policy on the supply of STEM and foreign language teachers and to develop policy actions to support the supply of teachers of these subjects.