Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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527. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the need for a far greater expansion of the scope of the current supply panel scheme in relation to substitute teachers (details supplied); if her Department examined the statistics for absences; and if it is clear that the current roll-out of a supply panel cannot possibly cater for the number of schools, teachers and potential absences. [52646/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff.

This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply Panel teachers employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500 schools across the country.

My Department has engaged with the education stakeholders on the issues raised about the current difficulty in accessing substitutes for teacher absences.

Among other measures, a review of the supply panels has taken place and approximately 100 additional teachers are being added to existing/new areas where significant challenges have been demonstrated in sourcing substitution. Engagement is taking place with the base schools to make arrangements for the recruitment of additional staff immediately.