Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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501. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to review the policy that allows teachers to apply for a career break after completing 12 months of continuous employment with their school, in light of national teacher shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29064/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The terms and conditions of the Career Break Scheme for teachers are contained in the Department’s Circular Letter 54/2019 (Chapter 7). A Career Break is a period of unpaid special leave for not less than 1 school year. It may be extended on an annual basis provided the total period of the Career Break does not exceed 5 years at any one time, subject to an overall maximum of 10 years absence during a teacher’s career.

Paragraph 2.1 of the Career Break Scheme states:

“A teacher is eligible to apply for a Career Break where he/she will have satisfactorily completed, at the end of the school year in which they are applying, 12 months of continuous service with the current employer. This requirement is waived where a teacher is compulsorily redeployed into a school or where a school is amalgamated provided that he/she has worked at least one full year in his/her former school prior to redeployment/amalgamation”.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform determines the terms and conditions of the Career Break Scheme for public servants, which includes teachers.

Under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998, the Minister for Education and Youth, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, is authorised to determine the terms and conditions of employment for teachers employed in approved teaching posts funded by monies provided by the Oireachtas.

The Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) forms part of the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers, the purpose of which is to provide a forum for claims and proposals relating to the salary, and other terms & conditions of service for teachers.

The Council is comprised of representatives from the Teacher Unions, the School Management Bodies, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, and the Department of Education and Youth. The TCC is independently chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.

The terms and conditions of teachers employed in State funded teaching posts are formulated at TCC and are of general application to all teachers appointed to such posts. The terms and conditions of the Career Break Scheme exists by virtue of a collective agreement, concluded under the auspices of the TCC.

I am committed to tackling teacher supply challenges and have announced new measures to help teachers secure permanent roles more quickly.

Recent budgets introduced initiatives such as a STEM bursary, PME fee refund scheme, expanded upskilling programmes, more flexible substitution, and improved workforce planning for teachers and SNAs—all part of ongoing investment in education.

Additionally, the Teaching Council is developing a new provision to support registration and induction for teachers qualified outside Ireland, facilitating their return to the sector. This will help increase the pool of newly qualified teachers (NQTs), especially those who studied abroad.

The Teaching Transforms campaign promotes teaching as a career and provides resources for those seeking to return or qualify abroad (www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms).

Teaching remains an attractive career: 3,700 NQTs registered in 2024, with over 126,000 total on the register. CAO data from 2017–2024 shows sustained demand for teaching programmes, with first preference applications increasing by 9% for primary and 5% for post-primary in the most recent cycle.

A new pay deal will increase starting salaries to €46,000, rising to €85,000—competitive by international standards.

My Department continues to consult with stakeholders on teacher supply and is exploring further measures to ensure schools have the support they need to deliver high-quality education for all students.