I have some figures for 1943-44 which perhaps I may read. In that year, 3,386 secondary teachers were employed, 1,609 men and 1,777 women, of whom 1,420, or 42 per cent., were not registered—625 men and 795 women—and 1,966 registered—984 men and 982 women. Of the registered teachers, 864 were lay teachers, or 44 per cent., of whom 843 were definitively registered teachers. The number of teachers newly registered in the year ended 31st July, 1944, was 133. The total number of teachers whose names appear at present on the register is about 2,400, and approximately 82 per cent. of this number were teaching in secondary schools recognised by this Department in 1943-44. The number of teachers eligible for increments was 1,792—942 men and 850 women—of whom 831 were lay teachers; 1,724 teachers were in receipt of incremental salary — 929 men and 795 women — of whom 805 were lay teachers. Of these 1,724 teachers, 782 got special increments for honours degrees or equivalent and 473 got special increments for teaching through the medium of Irish. Of the 831 lay teachers who qualified for increments, 750 had the basic salary or more and 81 had less than the basic salary.
In the time at my disposal that is all the information I can give the Deputy, except to say that the general question of the scales of salary of secondary teachers will fall for consideration when the Government declares that the emergency conditions no longer pertain to the question of remuneration. The matter of their qualifications is being examined. We have been in communication with the schools and the inspectors are following a certain policy of trying to bring about gradually an improvement in the standard of the new entrants. These are examined specially and are under probation for a certain period. I have no further announcement to make at present about new qualifications for teachers.
