Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier this year the Department received a report from a Teachers’ Union of Ireland (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. The proposal included findings from a survey undertaken by the TUI on the commute to work of members.

Any initiative that seeks to ensure that the educational needs of children are prioritised is to be welcomed. This proposed relocation scheme may be beneficial for those who are commuting considerable distances, and on the environment more generally, however, a number of challenges are apparent.

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.

Officials of my Department met with TUI representatives where an overview of the proposal was presented by the TUI and a discussion followed. The proposal has been considered by my department and a reply, based on the discussions and the report received, has recently been received by the TUI.

In that reply, the Department has advised the TUI that it would welcome a jointly agreed proposal from management bodies and post-primary teacher unions on a relocation scheme. The reply highlights some of the challenges that such a scheme would present. These include determining the criteria for a proposed relocation, the resolution of disputes that may arise, and whether the terms and conditions of teachers would continue if they relocated. The reply also emphasises the need to take into account the views of the management bodies and other union representatives.

Addressing these, and any other issues that the representatives of school management bodies may raise, would be a pre-requisite to further consideration of this proposal by the Department.

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 including this proposal for a teacher relocation scheme.