Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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856. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will fund and facilitate teachers at post-primary level who are registered via route 3 (further education), who are already teaching Irish as a subject and wish to upskill, and who are accepted into the course, to participate in the postgraduate diploma in Irish for post-primary teachers which is aimed at enhancing the skills of registered post-primary teachers in Irish; and if not, the reason and the opportunities she intends to provide to upskill existing Irish teachers who are deemed unqualified at present, and for route 3 teachers to upskill beyond the unqualified rate of pay. [45882/25]

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.

Registered post-primary teachers can avail of free upskilling programmes including in Irish. These flexible programmes boost teachers’ employment opportunities while addressing subject-specific teacher shortages.

Existing upskilling programmes are in high demand subjects such as Irish, maths, Spanish, and physics. French, politics & society and computer science will commence this year. Over 980 post-primary teachers have already completed or are currently participating in such upskilling programmes.

Trinity College Dublin, alongside Marino Institute of Education were successful in tendering for a contract to offer an inventive programme aimed at enhancing the skills of registered post-primary teachers in Irish. This upskilling programme in Irish is open to registered post-primary teachers irrespective of employment status who are not already registered in the subject of Irish. Teachers registered under route 2 (post-primary) with the Teaching Council hold an accredited qualification that provides for the skills and competencies to teach in post-primary settings.

Prospective applicants require a level B1 in Irish (TEG) to apply and will be also complete a four-week residential period in the Gaeltacht over the course of the two-year part-time programme. The programme is provided in a flexible and innovative manner to enable broad participation, accommodating teachers in both full and part-time roles, as well as those situated across the country.

My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders on teacher supply issues through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions. 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.