School Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023

Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Questions (474, 529, 531, 533, 538, 539, 560, 561, 565, 566)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

474. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to provide an up-to-date response on her Department's engagement with representatives on the issue of post-primary redeployment of teachers. [47670/23]

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

529. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education what progress has been made on the issue of 'fair post-primary redeployment for teachers'; the plans going forward to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48419/23]

Carol Nolan

Question:

531. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education what progress has been made by her Department with respect to the report that it has received proposing the introduction of a teacher relocation scheme from a working group established by a teachers' union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48448/23]

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

533. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education what progress is being made on the issue of post-primary redeployment; her plans going forward to address same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48465/23]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

538. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on her views of the work conducted by an organisation (details supplied) in respect of teacher transfers and standardised incremental credit; and if this committee and or her officials has provided her with interim and or final conclusions in respect of its work. [48524/23]

Sorca Clarke

Question:

539. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the progress that has been made in the past six months with regard to the teacher relocation scheme at post-primary level; what engagements she and her Department have had with the teacher's unions; and what plans she and her Department have in place to address this issue and to guarantee its success going forward. [48542/23]

Robert Troy

Question:

560. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education when she will meet with the teacher unions to discuss the report proposing the introduction of a teacher relocation scheme from a working group established by one of the teacher unions. [48716/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

561. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education what progress has been made on a report she received proposing the introduction of a teacher relocation scheme; what her plans are going forward in addressing this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48720/23]

Colm Burke

Question:

565. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department is engaging with stakeholders (details supplied) with regard to the establishment of a nationwide teacher transfer system for post primary teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48785/23]

Anne Rabbitte

Question:

566. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education what progress has been made on a transfer/relocation scheme for secondary school teachers (details supplied); what are the plans going forward in addressing the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48820/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 529, 531, 533, 538, 539, 560, 561, 565 and 566 together.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In that regard there are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post-primary schools, as well as ETBs).

Earlier this year the Department received a report of a TUI working group. The report proposed the creation of a national relocation scheme whereby teachers would identify the locations that they would like to relocate to through a portal and then effectively “swap” with teachers in that location.

Department officials subsequently met with TUI representatives to discuss the matter and the proposal is being given consideration with a view to a formal response issuing.

It should be noted that an existing voluntary redeployment pilot operates that is distinct from the relocation scheme proposed by the TUI. The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers.

The Department meets regularly with the teacher unions on many issues relating to teachers. The Department will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the needs of teachers and teacher supply challenges facing schools.