Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2022

Vol. 1030 No. 3

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

General Practitioner Services

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I welcome the Minister of State. I appreciate him turning up to take this matter. A week ago, the people of Blarney and the surrounding area woke up to the news that their local GP is to resign at the end of this year. At a time when we know how difficult it is to get access to a GP, this has sent a shock through the community. This decision affects 1,600 patients, 600 of whom are public and 1,000 private, between medical cardholders and private patients. On hearing the news, I wrote to and contacted the HSE, as did a number of my constituency colleagues. We were assured by the HSE that the public patients will be looked after by an interim service within 8 km of Blarney for the foreseeable future, until such time as a new doctor is recruited. This is welcome and very much appreciated.

I understand that one GP has already indicated interest in taking up the service and a number of other parties are also keen to express interest. I have taken the opportunity to write to all GPs within a 10 km radius of Blarney encouraging them to do all they can in helping in the interim and, in particular, to look after those 1,000 patients who do not have a service in the meantime. Despite all the usual scaremongering and politicisation of the issue locally, I seek some reassurance from the Minister of State that what the HSE tells me is true, that an interim arrangement has been made, and that the process of the advertisement of the post is being readied. If he could give any other pertinent details, it would be very much appreciated.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Frankie Feighan)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As he is aware, GPs are private practitioners, although most hold contracts with the HSE to provide services under various health schemes. There are currently more than 2,500 GPs with General Medical Services, GMS, contracts for the provision of GP services without charge to medical card and GP visit cardholders. As they are private practitioners, GPs are free to establish their practices and work at a location of their own choosing. However, where a GP vacancy arises in a practice with a GMS contract, the HSE becomes involved in the recruitment of a replacement GP. At the start of November, there were 27 GP GMS vacancies, approximately 1% of the GMS GP panels. Some 13 of the 27 vacancies were in rural areas and 14 were in urban areas.

On the expected GMS vacancy concerned, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has advised that it is aware of the upcoming vacancy and is taking appropriate steps. Engagement is ongoing with local providers and an interim service is being planned to ensure continuity of services for the cardholders concerned from 1 January, while the campaign to recruit a replacement GP is ongoing. Once interim arrangements are finalised, the HSE will contact cardholders to inform them of the particulars of this arrangement. The HSE will contact cardholders again when a replacement GP is in place.

The Government recognises the high demand for GP services and has taken measures to make working in general practice in Ireland more attractive. This will improve the recruitment and retention of GPs, increasing the number of GPs throughout the country. The rate of remuneration under the GMS scheme has been increased with additional annual investment of more than €200 million being provided under the 2019 GP agreement. For GPs, this means increased capitation rates, increased rural practice supports, and increased contributions to leave arrangements. Furthermore, budget 2023 provides for additional funding for practice supports in advance of the expansion of GP visit card eligibility from next April for those who earn the median household income of €46,000 or less. Specifically on rural practices, the agreement provides for a 10% increase in payments under the pre-existing rural practice support framework and a 28% increase in dispensing doctors' fees. Practices that receive rural practice supports attract the maximum allowable rate per practice to support subsidies and local contributions for leave taking.

The number of doctors entering GP training has more than doubled in recent years from 120 in 2009 to 258 in 2022, with 350 training places planned to be available by 2026. This shows that the measures undertaken are having an impact and will increase the number of GPs working in the State. A strategic review of GP services is due to commence shortly and is to be completed in a relatively short timeframe. This review, with input from key stakeholders, will examine issues affecting general practice, including issues around rural GP vacancies, and will set out measures to improve provision of GP services.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I appreciate the response. I have much of that detail already from the HSE locally through community healthcare organisation, CHO, 4. The real reason I am here is that many elderly people are fairly distressed and fearful of losing their service. I am glad to hear the Minister of State assure the House that the HSE has taken interim steps. I am aware that a GP has been located locally to step in and fill the breach until such time as a new GP is appointed. All that is welcome but, unfortunately, that is not what is being filtered out through local media at present. There is scaremongering and politicisation of this matter. That is wrong, especially, as I said, when we have elderly people who are severely distressed and might be concerned about future appointments, or prescriptions to be made out or whatever. It is wrong on the part of those people who are trying to politicise this.

I understand that a letter is to be sent this week to all patients affected detailing those interim arrangements. That will, it is to be hoped, at least reassure many of them that the HSE is doing all it can to fill this void. As already stated, it is unfortunate that private patients are in a situation where they face the prospect of having no GP over the Christmas period but I understand that a number of nearby GPs are already taking those patients on as well. I encourage anybody who is concerned to either get in touch with me or with other GPs in the vicinity, who are helping out where they can.

The Irish College of General Practitioners, ICGP, is due to announce a scheme for the recruitment of non-EU GPs in the coming weeks. Thankfully, this is being supported by the HSE. Some 20 GPs for rural areas will be employed in the first tranche. A second tranche of GPs is already being lined up for CHO 4. This is being done as part of a pilot programme by the ICGP. More details about that will follow in the next few weeks.

I am happy with the Minister of State's response. It reassures me. I hope it will also reassure people in my constituency that there is a process in place. We should be helping to ensure that process is followed rather than trying to undermine it.

Deputy Frankie Feighan

The HSE is aware of the expected retirement of the GP concerned and is taking appropriate steps to arrange for the continued provision of GP services for affected cardholders until such time as a replacement GP is in place. The HSE's focus is on ensuring continuity of care. It is currently engaging with local providers to implement a plan for services in the interim. As the Deputy stated, we need to take steps to reassure people. Sometimes, the wrong message can go out. It can be difficult to get the right message out there. As the Deputy also indicated, the HSE will contact affected medical cardholders and GP visit cardholders to advise them when these arrangements are finalised. It will also contact them when the new permanent GP is in place.

There is an increasing demand for GP services. Significant measures have been taken to increase the number of GPs working across the country. There are positive signs, including the increase in the number of doctors entering GP training as well as an increase in the number of GPs on the specialist register, that access to GPs will improve. The issues affecting rural GP practices and the difficulty in filling rural GMS vacancies will be examined as part of the upcoming strategic review of GP services. This review will set out further measures to improve the delivery of GP services.

The Deputy mentioned that the ICGP will be bringing in some non-EU GPs. That is another step in the right direction. It may allow us to address this issue. As already stated, sometimes the wrong message can go out and it can be difficult to get a positive message out to people. However, what I am seeing is quite positive in the context of dealing with and trying to resolve the situation that has arisen. I again thank Deputy O'Sullivan for his co-operation and for his interest in this important issue.

Fuel Poverty

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Is the Government aware that people who are reliant on district heating systems are paying exorbitant prices, well above the high prices being paid by everyone else? While district heating systems are sustainable and should be encouraged and promoted, they are placing a major financial burden on residents. This is not acceptable. I will give an example of the exorbitant costs. In one area in my constituency residents estimate that the cost of taking a shower is €12. Households that have cut down sharply on the use of hot water and are washing by filling basins rather than taking showers are still seeing huge increases in charges. Those charges have tripled in just one month. My understanding is that district heating systems are charged commercial rates rather than residential rates for gas due to a failure on the part of the Government to introduce regulations to protect households. Will the Minister of State confirm whether this is the case?

Residents, some of whom live with life-threatening illnesses, are coming down with infections. This is leading to costly visits to their GPs because they cannot access basic levels of heat and hot water. Residents in one part of my constituency are in a prepay district heating system. They are allowed to go into arrears of €10 and are then cut off entirely. They have no alternative. They cannot opt out and move to another system or provider. They have no choice. This means that some residents are living without heat, hot water or even fridges. This extreme situation cannot be allowed to continue and must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Replies to parliamentary questions I have submitted to date on this matter suggest the Government intends to address this issue at some point in the future. No timeline has been given, but, potentially, it might happen in a year's time. This is not acceptable.

It is almost 100 years since local authorities began installing baths in local authority housing in order that social housing tenants could wash regularly without needing to resort to using basins in their kitchens. We are now back in a situation where social housing tenants are resorting to using basins to wash. They cannot afford to have showers because the Government has not addressed this issue. This is utterly unacceptable.

Will the Government take action as a matter of urgency to protect households reliant on district heating systems? What is the Government going to do to sort out this problem? When will action be taken? What timeline is the Government working to? Will the Government rectify this matter urgently - before Christmas - in order that people living in these dire circumstances can access the basics they need to live dignified lives? Does the Minister of State agree that the current situation is completely intolerable and unacceptable? Does he agree it cannot be allowed to continue? When will the Government act to bring regulations or legislation in to address this matter?

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Government is supportive of district heating because it contributes to the diversification of the fuel supply for heat and decarbonising the heat sector. Across Europe, the term "district heating" is generally applied to networks that serve neighbourhoods, towns or cities and cover a mixture of customers including public buildings, industrial and commercial sites and residential units. District heating networks can offer flexibility in fuel choice and the ability to adapt to changes in the economic and policy landscapes. They may see different combinations of energy resources used at different times during the lifetime of a district heating network. District heating networks also offer the potential to expand the use of renewable energy sources and to assist with meeting decarbonisation goals. Group heating schemes are smaller scale operations that generally supply an apartment block or housing estate, as the Deputy outlined. In general, these schemes are supplied by natural gas purchased at a commercial rate by the energy system operator. Customers are supplied with heat, the sale of which is not currently regulated.

The district heating steering group was established under the Climate Action Plan 2021 to ensure structured development of district heating. Analysis of the regulatory needs of the district heating sector has been undertaken by the economic and consumer protection working group working reporting to the district heating steering group. As part of that analysis, the issue of group heating schemes has been considered and further consideration will be given to including group heating schemes within a consumer protection framework. Under SI 350 of 2022, which transposed the 2018 renewable energy directive, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has been appointed as regulator of district heating networks and will need to develop an extensive programme of work to consult upon and develop the regulatory regime. It is expected this work will commence following the submission of the district heating steering group report to the Government.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, has initiated a programme of pilot feasibility studies to examine the technical potential of moving group heating schemes that are fuelled by natural gas to renewable energy sources. The initial results of this work are expected to be available in the new year. More broadly, to help to alleviate the impact of the rising costs of living, the Government has put in place a series of measures and has made funding of €2.4 billion available. Further once-off measures worth €2.5 billion were announced in budget 2023, including the electricity costs emergency benefit. Primary and secondary enabling legislation has been put in place, with the first of three €200 electricity credits, inclusive of VAT, being paid to more than 2.2 million domestic electricity accounts from November 2022. While not all consumers use gas, electricity is supplied to all households, ensuring that this is a universal benefit.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. There is much useful information in that and that I had not received to date, so I am grateful for it and it is helpful. I understand that in a normal situation things take time and go through processes, and before the current crisis this would have made sense. The issue I have is that the current crisis around how commercial gas rates have increased and with prices being at a much higher rate than residential gas rates, this has left people in district heating systems in a particularly vulnerable situation that is intolerable. There needs to be an emergency response on this from Government to protect these residents. That is what I am asking for. I appreciate the longer process and that would have made sense before the events of this year, but for people who cannot shower, who are living in some very dire situations, and we are talking in particular about how this is affecting many people on low incomes, in social housing, and with serious illnesses; this is an intolerable situation that needs an urgent response now. That is what I am asking for.

Second, the Minister of State's reply mentions the measures the Government has brought in on the electricity credits and so forth. The reply I received from the Taoiseach last week seemed to indicate some people in district heating systems would not have been benefiting from these measures. Is there clarity on and certainty that people in district heating systems are benefiting from those measures?

Deputy Frankie Feighan

I thank the Deputy. The issues affecting customers of group heating schemes is primarily a matter for the consumer and the energy provider. The package of financial supports made available under budget 2023 includes the electricity emergency benefit scheme and will assist vulnerable households in the context of the cost of living. I do not have the detail regarding clarity but we will be able to work on that if the Deputy sends an email to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan, or to me. I have no problem with determining what is the best outcome.

Unfortunately, all EU member states have been affected by recent high global energy prices to various degrees. These impacts have been felt, especially by vulnerable citizens and small and medium enterprises that are striving to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless it is important to have a clear and shared understanding of the current situation. The Deputy has rightly said we need to protect these residents, and I agree we need to do as much as we can to protect them and get them out of the vulnerable situation they find themselves in.

A central part of the solution lies with cost-effective energy efficiency measures and accelerated deployment of renewable energy sources. It is very important we proceed swiftly with the treatment of the Fit for 55 package to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and a well-managed energy transition is part of the solution to keep prices affordable and predictable. The Government is working to expand district heating in Ireland to contribute to decarbonisation goals and to provide improved comfort and energy efficiency in homes. An expansion of district heating can also create skilled jobs in the areas of district heating systems, construction, and network operation and maintenance. An appropriate regulatory framework under EU legislation that also takes into account the Irish operational environment will be developed with advice from the district heating steering group to ensure protection and transparency, including for users of group heating schemes. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

Educational Disadvantage

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

I welcome the Minister for Education. I want to explain to her what is wrong with the way the Department is applying DEIS school status in Ardee. There are four schools in Ardee. One of them, a post-primary school, has DEIS status, so every student who is over 12 or 13 and who goes there has DEIS status. They have special educational supports. There are three primary schools in the town. One, the Monastery National School, is essentially a boys' school. There is an Educate Together school, and there is Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire, which is essentially a girls' school. Two of the primary schools I mentioned, the Monastery National School and Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire, have been opened up to boys and girls from this year.

The difficulty is that two of the schools have DEIS status, so every boy in Ardee, whether going to school in primary or secondary school, has DEIS status and has those supports, but not every girl does, because there are 288 girls who attend Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire and they do not have DEIS status. Their brothers and the boys in the other schools have a hot lunch during the day. Girls are being discriminated against because they do not have DEIS status and they do not have a school meal because one is predicated on the other. I visited the school along with Councillor Dolores Minogue, who is a very active councillor in Ardee and who attended that excellent primary school, Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire. We spoke to the principal and the facts are that 60% of the girls attending the school have siblings attending a DEIS school. In first class, 73% of the students, who are essentially girls, have a brother or sister in one of the DEIS schools. In third class, 80% of pupils, and in sixth class, 76% of pupils have a sibling in a local DEIS school. From the very first day when a girl goes to school in the town of Ardee, she is discriminated against by DEIS decisions.

DEIS is supposed to be delivering equality of education but it is actually delivering inequality, gender bias and an unacceptable situation. The school staff tell me, and unfortunately, with the cost-of-living crisis, this is endemic in our society, that they know a number of children - that is girls - come to school with no lunch or an inadequate lunch. In fact, they are sourcing food locally and keep sliced pans and other food in their freezer for children in need. Something must change here, because the Minister is perpetuating inequality in our society - gender inequality. I am a grandparent with boys and girls as grandchildren, and by God I would not stand for that: that the boys get the lunches and get the DEIS and the girls get nothing. That has to change.

I know the school put in an appeal which was turned down. In the words of the Department, it was a fair and final decision. Well, it is not fair and it is not final. The children are entitled to a hot school meal or food and water in this primary school they go to. It is absolutely disgraceful and I cannot stand over this. I appreciate the Minister attending and await her response.

Minister for Education (Deputy Norma Foley)

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. It has been raised with me previously by Senator McGreehan and others. At the outset I point out that Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, is the main policy initiative of the Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. The Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing these universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a targeted and equitable way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity across the primary and post-primary sectors. As the Deputy referred to, I announced a major expansion of the DEIS programme in March, which means that for the first time since 2017, programmes have significantly expanded to an additional 322 schools. The programme now includes more than 1,200 schools, and in effect this means one in four of all students are now supported in the DEIS programme.

Schools added to the programme earlier this year were identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme through the refined DEIS identification model, which is an objective, statistics-based model. The DEIS identification process is based on the principle of concentrated disadvantage, and that is the issue. There may well be disadvantage in various schools, but it is the concentration of disadvantage in a particular school at the particular time of the undertaking of the model that is considered. It considers the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds within a school and the relative disadvantage within a given school. The development of this model involved an extensive body of work by the DEIS technical group, which included officials from my Department, the Department's inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. The model used information from the schools' individual enrolment database and the 2016 national census data as represented by the Pobal HP deprivation index. It also took into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and by students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation.

A detailed document outlining the refined DEIS identification model is published on gov.ie. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and all schools in the country were considered for inclusion under the model. It is possible for two neighbouring schools to have a different profile in terms of proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the relative weighting of disadvantage apportioned in each school. The designation of neighbouring schools to different DEIS bands does not mean that there is no educational disadvantage present in one school but that the concentrated level of educational disadvantage of the two schools is different. Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed. While the school in question did appeal this decision, there was no change to the outcome of the initial application of the refined DEIS identification model. However, my Department will continue to support the school community to deliver high-quality, inclusive teaching and learning to the students and young learners. The DEIS programme will continue to be supported by my Department and following the national census of 2022 held on 3 April last, it is envisaged that an updated HP deprivation index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in quarter 3 of 2023. The Department will engage with Pobal regarding this process. The updated Pobal HP deprivation index, when available, can then be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage. During my term as Minister, I am pleased to say I have increased the funding for the DEIS programme significantly. In fact, in 2023 the funding will be in the order of €180 million. This reflects a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

That is the same reply the Minister gave me last week, or the week before. There has obviously been no change in the Department. I urge the Minister to inquire again into the issue of gender inequality that is arising here. I appreciate her reply but ask her to listen to the point that no girl going to a primary school in Ardee is getting DEIS support, not one, while every boy is. That is not acceptable. Every boy attending primary school in Ardee is getting a hot meal at school while no girl attending is. Twins coming from the same address with the same mum and dad walk down the street and one goes to the boys' school while the other to the girls' school. The girl asks her mammy what is wrong with her that she cannot get the additional educational teaching supports. What is wrong is the formula. The formula is wrong. I urge the Minister to look at that issue again for the people and parents of Ardee and the girls. I swear to God, I cannot believe it. I am shocked and appalled that this is the outcome. It may be an exceptional outcome and Ardee may be the only town in Ireland where it is happening but it is happening today and is going to happen tomorrow. Funnily enough, on becoming 12 years of age, they will all be disadvantaged and then will be in a DEIS school. There is something radically wrong here. I urge the Minister or her departmental officials to meet the principal of the school for a constructive engagement to discuss this issue. We have to find a solution. The pupils must be treated equally. The present DEIS is discrimination in education and it is also gender discrimination in this particular case. There is no doubt at all about it.

Deputy Norma Foley

I note the Deputy's concerns. The extension of the DEIS programme progresses the programme for Government commitment to complete the new DEIS identification model and to extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest concentration of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage. The concentration is the issue. The recent expansion will add an additional €32 million to the Department's expenditure on the DEIS programme for 2023, bringing the overall Department of Education allocation for 2023 to €180 million. I am very conscious of the benefits of the DEIS programme, as has been articulated. Analysis has shown that since the programme began in 2006, it has helped to close the gap in achievement between schools serving the highest levels of educational disadvantage and those serving populations with little or no disadvantage. However, I recognise there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools, not just DEIS schools and therefore under budget 2023, I secured funding for a number of measures that will support all children in this regard. This includes over €50 million to provide, as a permanent initiative, free books for all students in primary schools. I have also further improved the staffing schedule for primary schools to a ratio of 23:1, the lowest it has ever been, to benefit all schools. It is also important to note that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. The next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. This will consider all schools within and outside the DEIS programme. Part of this scheme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

I want to be clear on this point. Where a school does not achieve DEIS status, it does not mean that educational disadvantage does not exist but that the concentration of educational disadvantage between two schools is different. Unless there is a 100% reflection of the same students in each school, then both schools will be different. The issue here is not educational disadvantage but the concentration of it in one school over another. The system is open and fair. It uses the HP deprivation index with two additional weights for children who come from a background where there is homelessness, or children from a Traveller or Roma backgrounds.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

What about the girls?

Deputy Norma Foley

Gender is not part of this. It is about concentrated disadvantage.

Deputy Fergus O'Dowd

The Minister is not addressing this. It is discrimination.

School Staff

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht bheith anseo chun an ábhar dáiríre seo a phlé linn. I thank the Minister for being here. I understand she has a meeting later today with the stakeholders to discuss this very important issue. It is an issue that is escalating quite significantly. The Minister will be aware of its seriousness but for the benefit of the House and the record, I will say that we have a severe crisis in teacher supply at present in both primary and post-primary schools. In my view, this is primarily caused by the cost-of-living crisis, which is at its most severe particularly in Dublin but also in the other major urban centres. Teachers, particularly lower-paid younger teachers, cannot afford the rental costs and have very little prospect of being able to manage a mortgage in those big urban centres. There are multiple examples here in Dublin in particular. In Coolmine Community School, the school has had to take a decision not to offer subjects such as woodwork and metalwork and has had to combine classes for other subjects. This situation is replicated in other schools. Members may have seen the situation in St. James's Primary School in Dublin city on the "Six One News" a number of nights ago, where on 28 November, three teachers were out sick but only one substitute teacher could be found, leading to a number of classes being combined. St James's is also a base school for the supply panels. I am very supportive of supply panels as an idea but because of the existing supply issues, they are under-resourced. The school advertised for a position on that supply panel but absolutely no applications came in; there were zero applications. Some 60% of spaces on the supply panels in Dublin are vacant.

Fundamentally, this is about housing. I appreciate the Minister is the Minister for Education but she has a collective responsibility for the housing situation and I hope she can use her voice at Cabinet to try to address that. While the Minister cannot address all these issues on her own, are there things the Department of Education can do, in and of itself? I believe there are and they need to be considered. I acknowledge that some of these actions have been taken but there are others. At post-primary level in particular, it is about the creation of additional positions. We have too many teachers who are on insecure temporary contracts and who are underemployed. That is a key part of addressing the supply issue at this level. At primary level, there are similar issues. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the requirement for teachers who trained in Britain to complete their induction in Britain was waived by the Department. Something similar should be examined here and I ask the Minister to look at that at today's meeting. Foremost, I ask the Minister to examine the following.

This Christmas hundreds of teachers will return home from Britain, Scotland and the Middle East. They would love to be teaching here in Ireland but they cannot be offered a permanent position after 1 October at post-primary level and 1 November at primary level. If these teachers want to stay at home after Christmas their best chance is to take a temporary contract until the summer, go without pay over the summer months and then take their chances on getting a permanent position or a contract of indefinite duration in September. Would it not be far better, as was the case until approximately eight years ago, if the Department could allow permanent contracts to be offered to them? This would mean those teachers returning from Dubai, England, or wherever, could come home and be offered a permanent job and get paid over the summer. They would stay in the system. Will the Minister look at this? Can we offer permanent jobs to the hundreds of teachers, and perhaps more than this, who are working abroad at present?

Deputy Norma Foley

I am very aware that primary and post-primary schools are experiencing challenges in recruiting substitute teachers. Newly qualified teachers, however, represent an additional source of supply for substitute and full-time posts in 2022 and 2023, with more than 3,600 primary and post-primary newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council.

Significant additional posts have been allocated to the primary substitute teacher supply panels in areas where significant challenges in sourcing substitution continue. This brings the total to 610 posts on 151 panels covering more than 2,840 schools. These panels were introduced as a pilot from 2019 and have significantly expanded since their introduction. While these panels work very effectively in many instances and are fully staffed in more than 90% of cases outside of Dublin I am conscious there is always room for improvement. To this end I have asked officials to review fully the operation of the supply panels. I have asked them to consider whether their use could be made more effective to support schools and whether additional measures could be taken to recruit teachers where there are vacancies.

We have taken steps to alleviate some of the substitute supply pressures faced by schools. For the current school year job-sharing teachers may be employed to work in a substitute capacity. The limit on substitute work applying to teachers on career break has been suspended. Third and fourth year student teachers can register with the Teaching Council. More than 2,100 student teachers have applied for registration in this respect. Once registered, student teachers can be employed by a school to cover substitution of vacancies. As an example, approximately 800 second year Hibernia College professional master of education students have completed their latest school placement block and are available to the school system for the coming weeks.

At post-primary level the Department has recently put in place a scheme that allows teachers to teach additional hours in their subject area over the usual 22-hour limit, up to a maximum of 20 additional hours per term. Retired teachers who maintain their Teaching Council registration can also provide substitute cover. The Department has agreed a waiver of abatement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for such teachers for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years from 2021 to 2023, inclusive. The Department also runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers and engages closely with school management bodies and other education stakeholders to inform this work. Today the national consultative forum on teacher supply, co-hosted by the Teaching Council and the Department of Education, is meeting, as referred to by the Deputy. This will include all of the key stakeholders in this area.

Higher education institutions have developed new four-year initial teacher education programmes in a number of post-primary priority subject areas, including Irish, maths, computer science and modern foreign languages. In addition, the Department fully funds teachers to participate in upskilling programmes in maths, physics and Spanish. The first cohort of participants, approximately 170 teachers, is expected to graduate from these programmes this year and more than 300 teachers will graduate in 2023. We are also commencing the development of new upskilling programmes in other target subject areas, such as Irish. The Department also has a scheme to allow post-primary schools to share teachers, the aim of which is to recruit teachers in high-demand subjects and give teachers a full-time teaching contract. I strongly urge schools to explore this option as a means of supporting recruitment. These measures are underpinned by the Teaching Transforms campaign which promotes the teaching profession and encourages students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign is supported by the dedicated webpage on gov.ie.

It is acknowledged that despite these important actions, which have helped to some extent, work remains to be done to address the teacher supply challenge, particularly to ensure the availability of sufficient substitute teachers. The Department of Education will continue to work closely and intensively with stakeholders on this important matter.

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

I thank the Minister. I have acknowledged that some actions have been taken, albeit more in the primary area than the post-primary area. The Minister has acknowledged that despite these actions, which have helped to some extent, work remains to be done to address the teacher supply challenge and particularly to ensure the availability of sufficient substitute teachers. I imagine these actions have made some difference but, as the Minister said, they are clearly not fully addressing the problem that exists.

I note with a little concern mention of reviewing the supply panels. I am not sure there is any need to review them. The only thing wrong with the supply panels is that it is not possible to do the miracle of the loaves and fishes. There are just not enough to go around. They are a good idea. They are something sought for some time by the INTO. If there is a bean counter in the Department encouraging the Minister to think they are not great or not the best use of our money I encourage her to push back against it. It is a good idea provided there are enough teachers coming through to them. The problem, particularly in urban areas, is that younger teachers and newly qualified teachers cannot afford to live and work in Dublin. This is the fundamental problem. I urge her to engage with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The fundamental issue is the cost of housing. This is why teachers choose to go abroad and teach outside of the major cities. The Minister has a responsibility in this regard.

More particularly, I would like a response from the Minister on the following matter. I have made a number of suggestions, including a particular suggestion regarding teachers coming from abroad. Will the Minister look at this and allow them to work, if not permanently then perhaps for a couple of years? It was the case until eight years ago that teachers could be offered a permanent contract after 1 October or 1 November, depending on whether they were at post-primary or primary level. It makes perfect sense. It is challenging to compete with areas such as the Middle East where teachers can be offered high wages. The least we should be able to do is to offer those teachers a permanent position and to be paid over the summer. Otherwise we are asking them to take their chances if they want to stay here after Christmas. I am not sure they will do this.

Deputy Norma Foley

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate his active engagement on this and his acknowledgement that many initiatives have been introduced to mitigate where there are issues. Notwithstanding this, I absolutely accept there are particular challenges in some areas more so than others. The significant action that has been taken ensures that, for example, we have the third and fourth year students coming onstream. We have more than 1,700 of them now registered. As we speak, if we were to take one higher education institute as an example, more than 800 students are now available from Hibernia for substitution. We have looked at retired teachers and provided the abatement for them. More than 800 of them have made themselves available for substitution work. We have lifted the restrictions on those job sharing and on career break. As the Deputy is aware, post-primary teachers can work additional hours.

The Deputy referred to the review of the operation of the panels. No one knows more so than me the importance of having extended these panels. In 2019 there were six panels. Over the past two years this has increased to 151. This has been a very positive move. However, I am fair enough to acknowledge that clearly there are issues for some of the panels. It is important that we do a full review of how the panels are implemented and what potential there is to do things differently as we go forward. I understand the value of the panels and I want them to work better and more efficiently. Perhaps there is scope going forward.

I also want to acknowledge, and we need to look at it in the round, that significant development and enhancement in education has taken place in the past two years. Over the past three budgets I have consistently reduced the pupil-teacher ratio to an historic low of 23:1. This has meant more teachers are being employed. We have administrative leave days for teaching principals. This means more teachers are being employed. Equally, where there are two special classes in a school there is automatic installation of administrative principal status. This means more teachers are being employed. More and more teachers are coming into the system. Obviously we have to look at the issue of substitution.

We have made significant strides in initiatives in that regard. There is a meeting today and there will be more throughout the week. We are open to looking at everything that might address the issue.