Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
593. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any review of the operation of contract of indefinite duration, CID, arrangements for primary and post-primary school teachers in recent years; whether concerns have been raised regarding the repeated use of fixed-term contracts preventing progression to permanency for long-serving teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39710/26]
View answerThe Haddington Road Agreement (The Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016)
provided at Appendix 5 for Collective Agreements in the Education Sector. Specific provision
was made for a consideration of fixed-term and part-time employment in teaching as follows:
“Fixed-term/part-time employment in teaching:
An Expert Group will be established to consider and report on the level of fixed-term and part-time employment in teaching, having regard to the importance for teachers of employment stability and security and taking account of system and school needs and Teaching Council registration requirements.
Arising from this, my Department published Circulars 23/2015 and 24/2015 which reduced the qualification period for the award of a CID from a period of three years of continuous service to a period of two years of continuous service, subject to satisfying the required criteria and where the school will have a viable post available.
In April 2025, my predecessor, Minister McEntee announced that the criteria for eligibility for a CID would be further reduced from the period of two years to a period of one year of continuous service, subject to satisfying the required criteria and where the school will have a viable post available. Circulars 20/2026 and 21/2026 gave effect to the revised criteria.
The reduction in the qualifying period was introduced with the aim of helping teachers to place their careers on a more stable footing much sooner than before and to provide additional employment certainty to them.
