The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, as the employer, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
Redeployment arrangements are in place with the core function of the redeployment arrangements being to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
Arrangements for the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme for the 25/26 school year were published by my Department in February 2025.
Appendix 2 of Circular 25/2011 also provides for a redeployment scheme for teachers surplus to requirements other than in situations of school closure.
The scheme allows for existing teachers to be considered for redeployment on a voluntary basis where the school/ETB has an excess number of teachers in its employment beyond in excess of its allocation subject to that surplus position representing more than 1% of the overall allocation of that school/VEC. The allocation figure for this purpose is the allocation on 31 December of the year prior to redeployment adjusted by policy decisions on the Pupil-Teacher Ratio and other teaching posts.
Teachers who seek to resign from their post in their current school, and who seek employment as a teacher in another school, will be able to avail of the revised criteria for the award of a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) where, subject to meeting the relevant criteria, will be eligible for an award of a CID after a period of 1 year of continuous employment in the school, subject to the school having a viable post in the following school year and where the teacher has been reappointed following a competitive interview process at the end of that first year.
Teachers who are successfully appointed to another school will retain their pay and conditions of employment where they satisfy the relevant criteria.
To ensure that we deliver the best quality education system possible, the Department is planning for the school workforce of the future. The critical importance of the education workforce is recognised in the new Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future, which includes a commitment to -Develop a workforce plan for the education sector to ensure that we continue to attract, retain and return people into the sector and that the appropriate conditions and supports exist to ensure that they meet the needs of children and young people, society and the economy over the coming decades.
A number of strands of workforce development is underway, including initial planning for delivering on the Programme for Government commitment.
A project focused on Strategic Workforce Planning for the Teaching Workforce in Ireland commenced in October 2024. The project is supported by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) and implemented by UNESCO, in cooperation with the European Commission is expected to be completed within two years.
The project aims to consider the sustainability of the teaching profession in Ireland, with a focus on the factors that impact teacher supply, drawing on both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including a desk review of relevant literature, statistical analysis, surveys and interviews. It will examine EU and international good practices in the planning and management of teacher workforces, incorporating peer-learning workshops and a study visit.
Co-creation with educational stakeholders is an integral part of the project. Their insights will strengthen the quality of the analysis, and this approach will help to develop greater agreement amongst stakeholders on teacher supply issues in Ireland and the required solutions. It is envisaged that the recommendations put forward in the context of the project will feed into the development by the Department of a strategic workforce plan for the teaching workforce in Ireland.
While redeployment alone does not determine regional balance, redeployment arrangements may form part of a wider school workforce strategy. The Department is continually monitoring patterns of recruitment, retention, and movement across the system.
My Department frequently consults stakeholders and will continue to engage closely on issues such as workforce planning through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions
