asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the perennial shortage of Department-trained woodwork and metalwork teachers, he will allow the City of Dublin Vocational Committee the flexibility in the making of temporary wholetime appointments which they deem necessary to attract and keep in their employment such competent personnel as school principals may be able to recruit so at to ensure that students are not deprived of manual instruction vital to their prospects of entry to trade apprenticeship.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Woodwork and Metalwork Teachers.
15.
Where a vocational education committee experience difficulty in recruiting the services of a fully qualified teacher for a permanent wholetime post, I am prepared to consider a proposal from the committee for the employment in the post in a temporary wholetime capacity and for a limited period of time of a person who, although not holding the required qualifications for the post in full, may be regarded as reasonably competent to teach the subject concerned on an interim basis.
The making of a temporary wholetime appointment would, however, be the function of the Vocational Education Committee, subject to approval. The recruitments of such teachers cannot be delegated to school principals.
Is the Minister aware that in a number of instances in the City of Dublin Vocational Services, temporary wholetime teachers have been made part-time? Everybody will agree that this is a penny-pinching policy, and will the Minister now restore these men to their former status?
If the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee follow the normal procedures, I will investigate such cases.
Is the Minister aware that people who are working for the committee had their emoluments cut almost in half?
I am not so aware.
Is the Minister aware that every year there are shortages in relation to woodwork and metalwork and that these shortages existed before and during his time? What provision has he made to ensure that there would be an adequate supply of teachers to meet the demand?
A shortage of this category——
Metalwork and woodwork teachers.
The Department of Education continue to recruit increasing numbers of suitable applicants for these two categories. It is not a problem which can be solved overnight and we are making progress.
When will the building of Thomond start?
This year, shortly.