312 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by many schools in the Dublin area concerning a shortage of qualified teachers within the primary sector being made available for substitute or temporary work; if his Department has organised an audit of all primary schools in the Dublin area to establish the scale of this problem; the plans, if any, he has to alleviate the difficulties being experienced by schools in relation to this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5114/00]
Written Answers. - Primary Teachers.
I am aware that schools in certain areas of the country are experiencing difficulty in obtaining qualified primary teachers at present. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a range of measures has been introduced to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers.
The intake of trainee primary teachers to the colleges of education was increased substantially in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 sessions. The total intake in the 1999-2000 academic year was 1,283 compared with an intake of 500 in 1996-97.
Between the 2000 and 2001 academic years it is projected that approximately 1,900 newly trained teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates as compared with 1995 when 291 graduated.
A number of other initiatives to reduce the number of untrained personnel have also been introduced. Bachelor of Education graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualification are now recognised as fully qualified. An audit of schools for this purpose has not been organised in the Dublin area.