Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason there is a shortage of Home Economics teachers currently; how her Department plans to address this issue as schools have been left without teachers for Home Economics classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10260/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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This Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.My Department regularly consults with key stakeholders to address critical issues like teacher supply. Further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce are being considered.

The Department has been working on an analysis of the teacher workforce. Data for March 2024 showed there were over 78,000 qualified teachers employed in Ireland with over 35,000 in post-primary schools.

As with other sectors, recruitment challenges exist in some schools. To address teacher supply issues, The Government has implemented several measures that have led to:

1) an increase of 20% in Initial Teacher Education graduates (student teachers)between 2018 and 2023, and a 30% increase in the number registered with the Teaching Council since 2017, and

2) between 2018 and 2024 there has been a significant increase of 6,006 (17.42%) post-primary allocated teaching posts.

Measures introduced in recent budgets, included a STEM bursary, a PME fee refund scheme and an expansion of upskilling programmes, reflect the commitment to ongoing investment in the education system to address teacher supply.

To meet longer-term teacher demand, higher education institutions have developed new 4 year initial teacher education programmes in a number of post-primary priority subject areas, including Home Economics.

There are currently a number of providers of home economics Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Professional Diploma in Home Economics (PDHE) programmes.

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) St Angela’s Sligo, a provider of a home economics ITE programme reverted from five to four years from 2021. Also, in 2022/2023, ATU St. Angela’s developed a new B.Ed 4-year, two-subject, programme which was registered with the Teaching Council for ITE. The first intake onto this 4-year programme was in 2022 and those students are due to graduate in 2026.

When the new 4 year programme was introduced, students who were at an early stage of the 5-year programme were given a choice to either stay on the 5-year programme or transition to this new B.Ed 4-year programme. The students who transitioned to the 4-year programme will graduate in 2024 and 2025.

Additionally, ATU St Angela’s Sligo, has substantially increased its Home Economics student numbers and also deliver a PDHE programme. Munster Technological University (MTU) has also developed a PDHE to upskill registered post primary teachers to meet the Teaching Council’s requirements for registration as a teacher of home economics.

Other ITE providers for Home Economics include Mary Immaculate College Limerick (Thurles campus); University of Galway; University College Cork & MTU; and Dublin City University and Technological University of the Shannon.

The development and expansion of existing programmes in Home Economics will increase the number of teachers available. My Department continues to engage closely with HEIs to ensure that there will be an adequate number of Home Economic programmes to meet future demand in this subject area.

Teaching is an attractive career choice: over 3,700 newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2024 and over 126,000 now on the register.

Analysis of CAO applications spanning from 2017 to 2024 indicates a sustained and robust demand for undergraduate teaching programmes. On average, 6% of first preference applications during the period from 2017 to 2024 were for either primary or post-primary teaching programmes.

The new pay deal will mean that teachers’ starting salary will increase to €46,000 rising to a maximum of €85,000 per year which compares well internationally.

My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders on issues such as teacher supply through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions with teacher unions.Additionally, a project began recently supported by UNESCO and the EU Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support will work with stakeholders on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland.

I am considering further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce and ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.