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Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 October 2021

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Questions (126, 131, 140, 141, 142)

Chris Andrews

Question:

126. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49989/21]

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Catherine Connolly

Question:

131. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the analysis her Department has carried out into the possibility of continuing the system of banking substitution days for the current academic year; the analysis her Department has carried out into the impact of the revised sequencing of access to substitution for primary teachers on the continuity of learning for children with additional learning needs pursuant to circular 50/2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50052/21]

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Gary Gannon

Question:

140. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the steps that are to be taken when local arrangements that facilitate the pupils to be supervised in a manner that does not involve them being split between existing classes as under circular 50/21 section 6; and her views on whether this amounts to removing special education teacher support to supervise classes when no substitute is available. [50115/21]

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Gary Gannon

Question:

141. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of hours that were banked nationally past year; and the way this would equate on a pro-rata basis if school buildings had been open for the full 183 days of the school year. [50116/21]

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Gary Gannon

Question:

142. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the level of engagement with the education stakeholders prior to the announcement of circular 50/21 section 6; and if it was accepted by them. [50117/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 126, 131, 140, 141 and 142 together.

Among the COVID-19 supports provided for the 2020/21 school year, additional measures to provide for substitution to cover for teacher absences were introduced. These included a major expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panels. These were extended and currently almost 380 newly appointed supply panel teachers are employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500 primary schools across the country. These substitute Supply Panels are not the only means whereby schools source substitutes but are set up to work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers such as the national substitution portal service "Sub Seeker", operated by IPPN or through a school’s own panel of regular substitutes.

As a measure of last resort, and in the context of the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 related absences schools were permitted to use non-mainstream class teachers last year to provide cover for teacher absences. Almost 20,000 substitute days were ‘banked’ by more than 1,000 schools while schools were opened during the 2020/21 school year. School buildings were closed in January and February 2021.

Department Circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, provide that schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired. The circulars set out the sequence of recruitment for substitute appointments, which include contacting a person on the substitute list established by the employer, or by using a national substitute service such as SubSeeker , or advertising.

Due to the successful roll out of the vaccination programme and changes to the rules around close contacts and the requirements to restrict movements, teacher absences due to Covid-19 should be reduced this year. In this context using non-mainstream class teachers should no longer be necessary and schools should revert to using the normal sequence of filling substitute positions. It will therefore no longer be necessary to ‘bank hours’. This will ensure that children with special education needs get access to their specialised teaching on an ongoing basis.

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