School Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 March 2022

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Questions (402)

Joe Carey

Question:

402. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the hardship being experienced by teachers who surrender full-time teaching posts for personal reasons such as to care for ill family members, having to complete three full years on the supplementary panel prior to becoming eligible to apply for a full-time teaching post again; if she has plans to reform this system to take into consideration challenging personal circumstances and or to modernise the system which has been in place for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15901/22]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers, to other schools that have vacancies.

At primary level, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from the Main Redeployment Panel in the first instance and thereafter from Supplementary Redeployment Panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers.

Circular 57/2021 sets out the arrangements for the Supplementary Panel for the 2022/23 school year. The circular advises that previous permanent service is not reckonable for access to the Supplementary Panel. The panel criteria is reviewed each year, in consultation with the Education Partners (which includes the Teacher Union). Arrangements in relation to next year's Supplementary Panel will be reviewed and published towards the end of the current year.

Question No. 403 answered with Question No. 399.