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.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities. There are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post-primary schools, as well as ETBs) who recruit and appoint teachers subject to the relevant legislation
As many of the absences that arise in schools are filled locally by schools, without a requirement for an application to be made to my Department, my Department therefore cannot provide definitive figures as to the number of unfilled vacancies, or substitutable absences which were unfilled, in any given period of time, or as to the number of vacancies covered by an unregistered person during that time.
While most teaching positions are filled, some schools face significant recruitment challenges. To address teacher supply issues, the Department, with stakeholder support, has implemented several actions.
As of March 2024, a record 78,646 teachers are employed. From 2017/18 to 2023/24, the number of teaching posts in primary schools increased by 13.3% and 16.7% in post-primary schools. The reduced pupil-teacher ratio has resulted in more teaching positions being allocated relative to student enrolment.
Projections show that primary school enrolments will decline until 2036 while it is expected post-primary enrolments will peak in 2026/27 easing back to current levels by 2031/32. The Department is finalising an analysis of how this will impact the teaching workforce. The upcoming report, "Developing a Teacher Supply and Demand Model for Ireland," will detail these findings. Despite the projected enrolment decrease, it is not expected to resolve the recruitment challenges faced by some schools.
There are less than 1% resignations in the Primary sector every year and 1.6% in Post Primary. The number of teachers who retired over the past number of years has varied, with 932 in 2013 and 1,074 in 2023.
In circumstances where posts are unfilled for a period of time, or where a vacancy arises in a school due to a teacher taking leave, such vacancies may be filled by substitute teachers, on either a casual or non-casual contract basis.
Substitutable leave absences may be filled by schools in several ways. A substitute teacher may be recruited locally by a school, and a claim for payment for the teacher may be submitted to my Department, via the Online Claims System. Alternatively, the absence may be covered by schools under a number of schemes, which are managed locally by schools.
The Supervision and Substitution Scheme allows for the supervision of students in primary and post-primary schools during breaks and before and after school and allows for substitution to cover certain categories of teacher absences. Schools therefore provide cover for a number of substitutable absences, arising over the school year, through the Supervision and Substitution scheme.
For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2024/25 school year, 591 substitute teacher supply posts have been allocated to 167 panels, covering 2,900 schools. This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave. Absences covered by the teacher supply panels are recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leave to my Department.
For post-primary schools, Circular 0066/2024 provides for the continuation of the Teaching Hours Extension scheme to the 2024/25 school year. This scheme provides post-primary schools with an alternative means of sourcing appropriately qualified substitute teaching cover to support teaching and learning in schools. Teachers on full teaching contracts of 22 hours can provide additional substitution cover, of up to 35 additional hours, for each term designated under the scheme. Absences covered under this scheme are also recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leaves covered by this scheme to my Department.
Recent Budgets contain a range of measures that demonstrate my commitment to continued investment in our education system.
• Budget 2025 included a bursary for student teachers to increase the number of qualified STEM (including science, maths, chemistry, physics, engineering) teachers in post-primary schools. The bursary, a €2k payment each year for the final two years of their undergraduate initial teacher education programme, is contingent on a commitment to complete a minimum 2 years post-qualification teaching service in a recognised post primary school.
• Budget 2024 also included the expansion of upskilling programmes, free to teachers, aimed at increasing the number of qualified teachers in high-demand subjects and reducing out-of-field teaching. Budget 2025 continued funding for free upskilling courses for teachers in high-demand subject areas (Irish, French, Spanish, maths, computer science, physics, politics & society).Trinity College Dublin will deliver the new Irish upskilling programme in post-primary.
• Budget 2024 introduced a new bursary-type, fee refund scheme for teachers graduating with a PME (professional master of education) in 2024. This €2,000 payment will be made in 2025 to eligible primary and post-primary teachers. The purpose of this scheme is to encourage newly qualified teachers who have completed a PME in 2024 to take up teaching roles.
These new measures are in addition to a range of targeted measures that I have introduced in recent times, including:
• at primary level, 610 additional places on initial teacher education programmes were approved.
• over 3,700 student teachers were registered under Route 5 with the Teaching Council to substitute in June 2024, up from 2,700 that were registered in the previous school year. Continuing these flexibilities allows student teachers to support schools during their placements or as substitutes.
• Restrictions on job-sharing teachers and those on a career break from working as substitutes have been reduced.
• encouraging retired teachers to work as substitute teachers; in the 2023/24 school year, over 1,700 retired teachers provided substitute cover, an increase of 12% on the previous year,and
• the Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching.
Teaching remains an attractive career choice.
• Over 3,700 newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2024 with over 123,000 now on the register.
• 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.
• The new pay deal will mean that teachers’ starting salary will increase to €46,000 rising to a maximum of €85,000 per year which compares well internationally.
The Department frequently consults stakeholders on issues such as teacher supply through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions with teacher unions. A new project, supported by UNESCO and the EU Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, will begin on Friday 25 October, focusing on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland.
