Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
562. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the extent to which the current restrictions on the recognition of overseas and private sector teaching experience for incremental salary purposes are acting as a barrier to the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers, particularly in shortage subjects and high demand areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9352/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circular 10/2001 for Primary teachers, and Circulars 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. These circulars provide for the award of incremental credit in respect of prior teaching service, including overseas teaching service, both within and outside the EU and/or relevant non-teaching service. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC).
In accordance with the circulars, the incremental credit scheme is open to teachers who are employed in Oireachtas funded teaching posts. There is no contractual entitlement to incremental credit and applicants must submit a fully completed incremental credit application to have prior service assessed.
Where a school satisfies the criteria set out in the circulars to have service at that school recognised for incremental credit, an award of incremental credit can be made.
Criteria such as whether the school is subject to state funding, which can be of relevance when examining claims relating to private teaching schools, and the length of time the school has been in existence, must be satisfied for service at that school to be recognised for incremental credit. Where schools do not satisfy the required criteria, then service at that school cannot be considered towards incremental credit.
The criteria for the award of incremental credit for teachers are subject to review by way of an incremental credit committee, which is a sub-committee of the Teachers Conciliation Council, and which meets on an ongoing basis. Through the Teachers Conciliation Council, the teacher unions have lodged a claim concerning the recognition of private post primary teaching service outside the EU towards the award of incremental credit. The Department is continuing to examine ways in which the matter may be progressed in the future.
Some teachers, as is the case for many individuals in other professions, will decide to seek employment abroad for several different reasons, such as personal, family, professional or financial reasons, and they may also decide to return to Ireland for such a variety of reasons. While amending the terms of the incremental credit scheme may act as one factor, amongst others, for a teacher to seek to return to Ireland, it may also act as a factor in a teacher deciding to leave Ireland to teach abroad, or indeed to stay abroad teaching for longer than they may otherwise have done.
Teaching is an attractive career. The current starting salary of €44,879 for primary and €46,448 for post-primary teachers is greater than for most other graduates, and the profession continues to attract highly motivated teachers. The number of teaching graduates continues to be high with 3,700 newly qualified teachers registered in 2024.?Demand for teaching courses remains high.
The vast majority of teachers who joined the workforce in 2024/25 are employed on a full-time basis – over 3 in 4 new teachers are working full-time.
New initiatives aim to support subject choice. New programmes are increasing teacher numbers in high-demand subjects. Upskilling programmes and a new STEM bursary are supported by a PME fee refund scheme. Amendments to the process of awarding a CID to allow for a teacher to be eligible for the award of a CID after 1 year of continuous service, rather than 2 years of continuous service, subject to satisfying the relevant, which will be coming into effect this year, will assist in making teaching more attractive.
