Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the shortage of teachers which results in classes including special education classes not going ahead (details supplied); the steps she is taking to address this ongoing issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49783/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

In accordance with Department Circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired

The Special Education Teaching (SET) hours allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s unique educational profile.

Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation of hours for special education needs support based on their school profile.

Special Education Teachers provide additional teaching support for students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools.

Once the department allocate SET hours to a school it is the responsibility of the school and the board management to employ the resources necessary to utilise the allocation to meet the needs of those students with special educational needs.

My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of both primary and post-primary teachers.

I have allocated significant additional posts to the primary substitute teacher supply panels in areas where significant challenges in sourcing substitution continue, bringing the total to 610 posts on 151 panels, covering approximately 2,800 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.

Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) will also represent a new source of supply in 2022/23. In excess of 3,400 primary and post-primary NQTs have had their registrations finalised by the Teaching Council to date with almost 40 further applications currently in progress. In addition, approximately 100 NQTs have registered with the Teaching Council under Route 4. Teachers registered under Route 4 are eligible for employment as a teacher in restricted school settings, i.e. in certain categories of special schools and in certain classes in mainstream schools where Irish is not a curricular requirement.

The Teaching Council also recently made regulations allowing for the registration of 3rd and 4th year undergraduate ITE students under a new registration route, Route 5 (Student Teachers).To date, in excess of 1,200 student teachers have registered with the Teaching Council with a further 70 applications still being processed. Once registered with the Council, such student teachers can be employed by a school to cover substitutable vacancies.

My Department will continue, with the cooperation of the education partners, to develop and implement measures to address challenges faced by schools and to support the supply of teachers to our schools.