Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In that regard there are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post primary schools, as well as ETBs). As the recruitment process is still ongoing and teacher appointments are currently being processed by Payroll Division, it is not possible at this stage to advise on the current number of vacant teaching positions.

Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have available to them qualified, engaged teachers to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The Department of Education works with school management bodies, teacher unions and other education stakeholders in this regard

The Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers. To support the supply of substitute teachers:

• Primary substitute teacher supply panels will continue to operate in 2023/24.
• Job-sharing teachers may be employed to work as substitutes during the period they are rostered off duty and the limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break have been suspended.
• Post primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach.
• 3rd year undergraduate teachers are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council under registration Route 5 (Student Teachers). The registration process for student teachers is due to commence in October. More than 2,700 student teachers were registered under Route 5 last year.
• A waiver of abatement for retired teachers returning to teach for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years 2021 to 2023 inclusive has been agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform.

Other measures include:

• The implementation of a pilot of the teacher sharing scheme in a small number of post primary schools. The pilot scheme will facilitate two schools to collaborate to provide high priority subjects, and to enhance the teaching hours available for those teachers employed on less than full hours.
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who qualify outside Ireland and apply before 1 February 2024 will continue to be able to complete induction (Droichead) in Ireland. This measure seeks to enhance the supply of NQTs available to schools and is particularly relevant for Irish teachers who have studied and qualified abroad and who may wish to return to the Irish education sector.
• Following from the Department’s Action Plan on Teacher Supply, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) operates a portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term teaching positions. The portal facilitates the matching of demand and supply and provides an efficient and user-friendly recruitment process for both schools and teachers, including teachers working abroad who wish to apply for posts here.
• Turas Abhaile is an initiative of the post-primary school management bodies and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) which has assisted teachers based abroad to return teach in Ireland since September 2019. Turas Abhaile matches available post primary teachers with specific vacancies.

Measures targeted at supporting the long-term supply needs of the system which are already in in place include:

• At primary level, I approved 610 additional places on initial teacher education programmes over the next two academic years (2023/24 and 2024/25).
• At post-primary level, the Department has increased the number of places on teacher upskilling programmes in mathematics, Spanish and physics. The programmes are delivered outside of class time and are offered at no cost to the teacher. Approximately 170 places were provided in the first intake across the three programmes with an increase in places to over 300 in 2023. A new programme to upskill teachers in Irish is planned for 2024 and the Department is also considering additional upskilling programmes in other priority subject areas.
• The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.

The Department meets on a regular basis with the school management bodies and the teacher unions on this very important issue and we will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the teacher supply challenges facing schools.