Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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425. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of substitute teachers that are on each substitute teacher supply panel across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54301/21]

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 ongoing with the base schools to make arrangements for the recruitment of additional staff immediately.

The most recent data on the current Supply Panel clusters is follows: