Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
577. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to define the ‘gap in employment’ for primary substitute teachers (details supplied) when they must cease employment where the school is closed for the summer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6628/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
In accordance with Department Circular 44/2019 and Circular 31/2011, which are available on the Department’s website under (www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-education/), schools are required to employ appropriately qualified teachers and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired. These measures were taken in an effort to increase employment opportunities for unemployed teachers.
Chapter 2 of Circular 44/2019 deals with the recruitment of teachers in Primary & Special School.
If the applicant is not a registered teacher you will need to contact the Teaching Council, www.teachingcouncil.ie telephone: 1890 224 224. The Teaching Council is the statutory body for the registration of teachers including the recognition of teaching qualifications.
The Department of Education act only as the paymaster and not the employer.
The Department of Education & Youth provides a payroll service to over 3,700 primary, voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools
There are a variety of teaching employment types within these schools such as permanent whole-time, fixed term contracts, contracts of indefinite duration and casual substitution work. This last category is where schools employ teachers on a casual basis to fill short-term vacancies resulting from absences of their whole-time time colleagues due to for example sick-leave or attendance at in-career development courses. A casual substitute teacher is employed on a day-to-day basis with no obligation on the school to re-hire the teacher on any subsequent day and no obligation on the teacher to work for the school on any subsequent day. No employment relationship exists between the school and the casual substitute teacher beyond the end of the day on which they are employed.
