Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government.

Budget 2024 reflects this Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in the education system through various measures:

• Introduction of a professional master’s of education bursary type payment for newly qualified teachers graduating in 2024. Eligible teachers can receive a payment of €2,000, to be paid in 2025.
• Provision of an additional 1,000 posts of responsibility in the school system for the 2024/25 school year, recognising the vital role of school leaders in enhancing educational outcomes by fostering a positive school environment and empowering educators and learners within their communities.

In addition to these recently introduced measures, as Minister I have developed further initiatives to address teacher supply challenges, including:

• Approving 610 additional places on initial teacher education programs for primary level over the academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25.
• For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2023/24 school year, 590 substitute teacher supply posts have been allocated to 166 panels, covering nearly 2,900 schools. This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave.
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) employed in primary schools will from 14 November 2023 be able to apply to the Teaching Council to complete the Droichead process while employed on a Supply Panel or Principal Release Time Post. The measure has been extended to the end of the 2024/2025 school year. This measure increases the attractiveness of these posts to NQTs and supports primary schools to provide substitute cover.
• Ensuring flexibility in initial teacher education programs to allow student teachers to support schools, with over 2,700 registered under Route 5 with the Teaching Council in 2023, providing valuable substitute teaching support. Currently there are 3,700 registered under Route 5, the highest number ever.
• Encouraging retired teachers to provide substitute cover, resulting in a significant increase of 49% in teaching days provided between the 2021/22 and 2022/23 school years. A new communications campaign began earlier this year to encourage retired teachers to return to teaching.
• The 50 day pension abatement waiver, for retirees returning to work, has been extended for a further two years to the end of 2025.
• Reduction of restrictions on job-sharing teachers and those on career breaks from working as substitutes.
• The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession encouraging students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms

These measures have contributed to the lowest-ever teacher allocation ratio in primary schools, with a 10% reduction in the average student-per-teacher ratio between 2017 and 2023.

Teaching remains an attractive career choice.

• CAO preferences for primary teaching showed increases at the closing date in February 2024 with overall mentions up 10% and first preferences increasing by 2% from 2023.
• In 2024, there were 4,271 first preference applications for undergraduate teaching programmes, showing a trend largely consistent with recent years. 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. Specifically, the percentage of first preference applications for undergraduate primary teaching programmes ranged between 2.9% and 3.8%, while those for post-primary undergraduate programmes ranged between 2.4% and 2.9%.
• The ratio of first preference applications through the CAO for level 8 courses in 2022 shows that there were 1.5 applicants per place for education, with a higher demand for primary courses (2) than for post-primary places (1.5). The demand for primary ITE is higher than for all fields except for medicine (3.5) and veterinary medicine (5.2)
• The new pay deal, with all three teacher unions having voted in favour of, will mean that teachers’ starting salary will increase to €46,000 rising to a maximum of €85,000 per year which compares well internationally. Starting pay of €46,000 will be almost €20,000 higher than the 2011 rates.
• Over 3,700 newly qualified teachers have registered with the Teaching Council in 2023, with over 122,000 now on the Teaching Council register.

The vast majority of sanctioned teacher positions are filled. The rate of resignation and retirement is very low by any standard and is consistent with previous years.

Ireland’s education system is performing strongly, something that is supported by recent international testing. That is a tribute to the professionalism and dedication of our teachers. We need to continue to support our schools and maintain the high standards that have helped get us to where we are.

My Department continues to engage closely with education stakeholders to develop further, innovative measures to address teacher supply issues.