Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
262. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of
teachers at primary level and at second level who are expected to retire by the end of February
2012; the number that will be re-employed up to the end of the current school year; and if he
will make a statement on the matter. [8473/12]
Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I propose to take Questions Nos.
220, 257 and 262 together.
At the outset, I want to be very clear that vacancies created in the teaching profession by
the forthcoming wave of public sector retirements up to February 29th 2012 will be filled.
Students and pupils will not be left without teachers to teach them as a result of retirements.
Furthermore, the turnover in teaching staff will provide many newly qualified teachers with
opportunities to gain employment. The filling of vacancies in individual schools will be
addressed by Boards of Management at school level.
I am also seeking to reduce the impact of these retirements on students preparing for the
State examinations. I am allowing schools to re-employ teachers who retire between 1
December 2011 and 29 February 2012, and who had been teaching classes due to sit State
exams in 2012, until the end of the school year. I do not have information of the numbers of
retirees who will be re-employed under these special arrangements as it will be a matter for
the school and teacher concerned to decide if they wish to avail of them.
In the case of teachers who are not teaching exam classes, replacements can be employed
until the end of the school year, subject to the numbers framework.
The information available to the Pensions Unit of my Department in relation to projected
retirements nationally from 1 January 2012 to 29 February 2012 are of the order of 729 Primary
teachers, 507 Secondary/Community and Comprehensive School teachers and 220 Vocational
teachers.
The Government has prioritised, as best as possible, the filling of front-line posts in the
Education sector within the constraints of the Employment Control Framework. For example,
schools are permitted to fill teaching vacancies that arise within their approved staffing allocations.
I am confident that the large pool of qualified and registered teachers will be in a
position to continue to provide high quality education to students.
221. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has proposals
for a central database of all positions to be filled in primary schools that both prospective
teachers and schools could register with similar to the website www.publicjobs.ie for the Public
Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7860/12]
Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): The recruitment and appointment
of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to
procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998. The Constitution of Boards
and Rules of Procedure document 2011 sets out the procedures for appointment of teachers
and special needs assistants at primary level.
From 1 December 2011 all advertising of teaching and special needs assistant positions at
primary level must be through one of the four listed websites, which include sites run by the
Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) and the management bodies. Vacancies for the post
of principal may also be advertised on www.publicjobs.ie.
I issued Circular 31/2011 in May of last year which requires that, from September 2011,
schools at primary and post-primary level maintain a list of appropriately qualified registered
teachers who notify the school that they are available for substitute teaching at short notice.
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