Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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594. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the staffing complement at primary schools in County Meath; for the number of schools days lost in Meath primary schools as a result of teacher absence and lack of substitute teachers in the 2022/2023 school year to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55172/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. The staffing schedule has been improved under both Budgets in the past two years. For the 2022/23 school year, the schedule has been improved by one point and schools are provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils which means that our primary schools are currently staffed at the most favourable level ever seen. There are currently 1,702 posts allocated to 115 schools in county Meath.

My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers 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 610 posts on 151 panels, covering approximately 2,800 schools, including 114 primary schools in Co. Meath.

The supply panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers and schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed.

Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) represent an additional source of supply in 2022/23. In excess of 1,870 primary NQTs have had their registrations finalised by the Teaching Council to date in 2022 with further applications being processed.

Sub Seeker, a central portal for short-term substitute vacancies, was jointly developed by IPPN / NAPD in accordance with my Department's Teacher Supply Action Plan and launched in December 2019. The portal matches available primary and post-primary teachers with short-term substitute vacancies. Almost 12,000 teachers have registered with Sub Seekerto date.

On a temporary basis for the 2022/23 school year, job sharing teachers may be employed to work in a substitute capacity during the period they are rostered off, in their own or in other schools

The limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break have also been temporarily suspended for the 2022/23 school year.

The Teaching Council made regulations allowing for the registration of 3rd and 4th year undergraduate student teachers under a new registration route, Route 5 (Student Teachers). Approximately 1,300 student teachers applied for registration under the first cycle of Route 5 registrations. The second cycle of Route 5 registrations commenced in early October. Once registered with the Teaching Council, 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.

The data sought by the Deputy in relation to the number of schools days lost in Meath primary schools is not readily available and further information will issue to him under separate cover.