Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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438. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options in place for the provision of education to secondary school students where there is a shortage of teachers for a core curriculum subject; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57382/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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This Government is 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.

There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools nationwide. A recent analysis of teacher payroll data shows that there is a record number of teachers employed over 79,000 in all schools with 36,000 in post-primary. Like many sectors, recruitment challenges exist in the education sector, especially in urban areas. While most teaching positions are filled, some schools face significant recruitment challenges.

There has been a 20% increase in the number of student teachers graduating between 2018 and 2023 and over 30% rise in teachers registered with the Teaching Council since 2017. Between 2018/19 and the last school year 2023/24, through record investment by Government, the number of teaching posts has increased by 10,408 with 5,069 (17.8%) post-primary allocated teaching posts. Additionally, Budget 2026 has seen an increase of 1,042 teacher posts, including 860 additional teachers working across various special educational needs settings. Few teachers resign: less than 3% of the teaching workforce resign or retire annually from contracted teaching posts.

A range of targeted measures have been introduced to address the teacher supply issue including the revised Teaching Council registration regulations which allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State for a time-limited period up to 31 December 2027. This measure reinstates a facility that proved valuable during previous years in addressing teacher supply pressures. Recently, I also announced measures to help teachers to gain permanent roles more quickly.

In order to ensure that there are sufficient teachers in high-demand post-primary subject, a range of measures have been introduced. These include a STEM bursary and the expansion of upskilling programmes. Budget 2025 introduced a €2,000 bursary for student teachers in STEM fields to increase the number of STEM teachers available to schools. It is payable in the final two years of their undergraduate programme, in exchange for a two-year teaching commitment.

Upskilling Programmes expanded under Budget 2024 and continued in 2025, offering free courses to teachers in high-demand subjects. New programmes in Irish, French, politics & society, and computer science have commenced in 2025, with over 160 teachers registered on these programmes, and complement existing programmes in maths, physics, and Spanish. Additional capacity is also being provided in Initial teacher education programmes for home economics leading to increased numbers of students on these programmes.

To address the challenge of substitution, post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of substitute cover per term and measures to reduce restrictions on jobsharers and those on a career break from working as substitutes have all been extended to the current school year.

In addition, promotion of the teaching profession as a career continues and workforce planning for teachers and SNAs is under way.

These measures are designed to ensure a steady flow of qualified teachers into the profession and reflect the commitment to ongoing investment in the education system to address teacher supply.

The teaching profession is highly attractive, with strong demand for teacher education programmes with 3,700 newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2024 including 1,856 at post-primary level. First preference data from the CAO for the February 2025 closing date showed continued increases in teaching programmes first preferences of 5% in post-primary.

Salaries are competitive, starting at €46,448 for post-primary and rising to €85,000 under the current pay deal. Over 75% of new post-primary teachers are employed full-time. 93% of teachers with 5+ years’ experience hold permanent full-time or pro-rata contracts.

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