Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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300. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current number of vacancies in home economics teaching posts in secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5317/23]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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309. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department will fund teachers who are upskilling in maths, physics and Spanish but not in home economics, despite the subject being the second most difficult subject for which to employ a teacher; the criteria that were used when selecting the subjects to be supported; the number of vacant home economics posts across the post-primary sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5450/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 309 together.

In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018.

The Action Plan called for the development of upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas for existing teachers, and following a request from my Department, the HEA issued a funding call to ITE providers for upskilling programmes in mathematics, physics and Spanish in late 2019. These were identified by the Steering Group as among the most challenging subjects in terms of teacher recruitment. Following the successful completion of the funding call, these programmes commenced in January 2021.

Upskilling programmes are provided over two years on a part-time basis. They are free of cost to participants. The first cohort of participants, approximately 170 teachers, completed the programmes in 2022 and more than 300 teachers are due to finish in 2023. My Department has agreed to extend funding in 2023 and to provide for additional capacity.

Funding for these programmes was put in place following a competitive call to all initial teacher education providers for proposals. It is intended to commence an upskilling programme in Irish in 2023/24 and consideration will be given to extending programmes to other subjects. The allocation of funding for any future programmes will be dependent on a competitive tender process for potential providers.

Separate to the direct funding to these upskilling programmes, the Teacher Fee Refund Scheme provides funding to teachers towards the cost of participation and examination fees on successful completion of professional development courses. Funding under the scheme is being prioritised for those taking courses in particular areas, including upskilling for post primary teachers leading to registration with the Teaching Council in an additional subject. The maximum refund under the scheme is €5,000 per year and the level of refund depends on the volume of eligible applications that are received. Department Circulars 0005/2023 and 0015/2021 relate to this Scheme.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). My Department does not currently collate data on the number of vacant posts in post primary schools on a subject level basis.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consult a group (details supplied), teacher unions and managerial bodies with a view to developing a new policy in respect of teacher transfers and redeployment, as put forward by a union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5320/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.

At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.

The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties.

The teacher redeployment arrangements are reviewed annually by my Department involving the education stakeholders, including teacher unions and management bodies. As part of the review, the Education Stakeholders can raise issues or concerns with the Department in relation to the operation of the redeployment process generally. It is open to members of the school community to liaise with their representative bodies on any matters of concern they may have.

The review in respect of the 2023/24 redeployment process took place last December and it would not be appropriate to consult with the group referred to by the Deputy outside of the normal review arrangements agreed with the Education Stakeholders.

The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath for the 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year is available on the Department's website.

Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.