Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address issues of teacher shortages at all primary and or second-levels schools throughout the country with particular reference to the need for locums; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4653/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years the Department has established a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers at both post-primary and primary levels, including the introduction of new programmes of initial teacher education and teacher upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas and the Teaching Transforms campaign, which encourages young people to follow a career in teaching.

In the current school year a number of additional measures have been put in place to enhance substitute cover.

At primary level significant additional posts have been allocated to the primary substitute teacher supply panels in areas where significant challenges in sourcing substitution continue, bringing the total to 680 posts on 142 panels, covering approximately 2,700 schools.

The supply panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as Sub Seeker, the national substitution portal service operated by the Irish Primary Principals' Network and schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed. 

Continuing professional development (CPD), where substitution is required has been suspended until after the February mid-term break, with the exception of planned CPD relating to reforms in senior cycle. This measure has allowed for teachers on secondment to my Department’s education support services to be available to provide substitute cover in schools through Sub Seeker.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) providing undergraduate programmes of primary and post-primary initial teacher education (ITE) have agreed to facilitate the release of 3^rdand 4^thyear student teachers to support schools. To support this measure the Teaching Council has recently made regulations for the registration of these student teachers and is currently developing a system for their registration.

In addition, the HEIs providing professional master of education (PME) programmes have ensured flexibility in programme delivery to enhance the availability of PME students for substitute work. PME students have been advised to register with the Teaching Council and with Sub Seeker.

These measures are in addition to changes to the career break scheme, to permit teachers on career break to do unlimited substitution and changes to the job sharing scheme to permit job sharing teachers carry out substitute work on the days they are rostered off.

Primary schools with teaching principals have also been asked to cluster their allocations of principal release days to form a full-time fixed-term posts to minimise the requirement for substitute teachers.

The Department and its Inspectorate continue to provide support to schools where they continue to experience difficulties in sourcing sufficient substitute cover.