Minister McEntee announces extension of teacher supply measures

Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD, has today, Friday 27 June, announced the continuation of a number of measures which the Department has operated in recent years to assist schools in accessing additional teaching and substitute hours.

The Teaching Hours Extension Scheme provides post-primary schools with an alternative means of sourcing appropriately-qualified substitute teaching cover to support teaching and learning in schools. Teachers on full teaching contracts of 22 hours can provide additional substitution cover, of up to 35 additional hours, for each term designated under the scheme. 

The relaxation on the limits on the maximum time a teacher can provide substitute teaching cover while on career break, or participating in the job-sharing scheme, allows teachers to provide additional substitute teaching hours for both primary and post-primary schools and further assists schools in accessing qualified substitute teaching cover.

Minister McEntee said:

“Teachers are at the heart of our schools and we are so lucky to have more teachers working in our schools than we ever have had before. However, in some areas there are teacher supply challenges and I am committed to tackling this.

“That is why I am today confirming the extension of two measures which will help schools in accessing additional teaching and substitute hours for the upcoming school year.

“Teachers who are job sharing will continue to be able to work as a substitute teacher in any school, as long as they are off duty. Additionally, teachers who are on a career break can continue to work as a substitute teacher.

“While these are not long-term solutions, they will continue to support schools to access qualified teaching for the students in their schools.

“These measures are in addition to steps I have already taken to help teachers to secure permanent contracts more quickly and to help those teachers who have trained abroad to apply for registration in Ireland. Other initiatives include the STEM bursary, PME refund scheme, more upskilling programmes for teachers, flexibility for substitute teachers and improved workforce planning for teachers and SNAs.

“I am committed to ensuring that teaching remains a high-quality career and that we have well-staffed schools for all students across the country.”

ENDS

Additional Information:

1. The number of unfilled teaching posts continues to be low; the latest data shows that approximately 79,000 qualified teachers are employed in schools nationwide. While school authorities handle recruitment independently, a recent analysis of the teacher payroll review shows that, as of November 2024, 2.1% of the 74,611 allocated posts were unfilled—a relatively low rate.
2. There are more qualified teachers than ever working; the number of teachers has outpaced/increased more than the increase of students going to school. Recent analysis of payroll data shows that there are over 79,390 teachers employed in our schools across the country with 43,163 at primary level including special schools and over 36,227 in post-primary schools.
3. The number of teaching graduates continues to be high with 3,700 newly qualified teachers registered in 2024.
4. Teaching is an attractive career choice: 6% of first-choice CAO applications for primary or post-primary teaching shows consistent demand from 2017 to 2024.
5. A recent announcement will further improve the attractiveness of the profession by ensuring that newly qualified teachers can gain permanent contracts earlier and assisting eligible teachers who trained outside of Ireland to work here.
6. A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government is in development. Additionally, preparations are being made to host an education convention—another Programme for Government commitment—that will bring together all stakeholders to share their experiences, expectations, and hopes for the future of our education system.