Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to review correspondence (details supplied); if she can provide an update on the issues raised and the report mentioned in the email and provide an update on this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50023/23]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in establishing a transfer/relocation scheme for teachers, as requested in a proposal to her Department by teacher unions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50065/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 79 and 80 together.

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).

Earlier this year the Department received a report of a TUI working group. The report proposed the creation of a national relocation scheme whereby teachers would identify the locations that they would like to relocate to through a portal and then effectively “swap” with teachers in that location.

Department officials subsequently met with TUI representatives to discuss the matter and the proposal is being given consideration with a view to a formal response issuing.

It should be noted that an existing voluntary redeployment pilot operates that is distinct from the relocation scheme proposed by the TUI. The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers.

The Department meets regularly with the teacher unions on many issues relating to teachers. The Department will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the needs of teachers and teacher supply challenges facing schools.