Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Deputy Leader on his new post. I wish him all the best and thank him sincerely for all the assistance and support he gave to people like me and Senators Dolan and Seery Kearney when we started as Senators. I have not forgotten it.

I refer to the article in The Irish Times today that states there could be a €2,000 incentive for new teachers to take up full-time teaching roles and this is part of the Government's agenda to address vacant posts in schools. This is a major issue in Dublin West. It is an issue in the context of balancing out the demand for certain secondary schools over others. We know there are certain schools that many people apply for and then others where parents may be concerned about vacancies.

The proposed measure is a good move. We must also, however, talk again about the pressure being felt by teachers, guards and nurses in areas of Dublin where accommodation is expensive and hard to find. I am looking at a development where 725 cost-rental apartments will be built in Pelletstown. This is another initiative being undertaken by the Government in terms of supply and affordability. Should these two initiatives not be joined up, however?There is a role, where there are acute pressures in a particular area for gardaí, teachers and nurses, for looking at ring-fencing a certain portion of apartments to be available for cost rental to those teachers, gardaí and nurses.