Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
443. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the ratio of male to female teachers in primary and secondary schools respectively; the measures he will introduce to increase the number of males training to become primary and secondary school teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71569/25]
View answerThis 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.
An analysis of teacher payroll data, as of March 2025, shows there are 79,225 teachers employed in our schools across the country with 43,221 at primary level including special schools and 36,004 in post-primary schools
The ratio of female to male teachers in primary and post-primary schools (excluding ETBs) in the 2024/25 school year was 6:1 and 2:1 respectively.
The Department produces and publishes a range of data on teachers including the gender of teachers appointed. The data may be found on the Teacher Statistics section to the Department's website, using this link <https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/teacher-statistics/>
In addition, the Department recently published 3 reports on teacher supply including data on an analysis of the Teaching Council register, a survey of substitutes and a survey of teacher unmet demand in post-primary schools.
The Department provides a range of measures to address teacher supply. The Department announced new measures in 2025 including assisting teachers gain permanent roles more quickly and approving regulations recently to allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State.
My Department remains committed to supporting a diverse and sustainable teaching workforce and is currently developing a strategic workforce plan for the teaching profession, in partnership with UNESCO and supported by the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument.
In addition to recently announced measures, the Department 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.
