asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers qualified to teach in national schools and who have yet to secure permanent employment in such schools.

As the Deputy's question does not relate to a specific period and as my Department have no means of determining the employment intentions of all people qualified over the years to teach in national schools and who are not in permanent employment in such schools, I regret that it is not possible to supply the information requested.

Is the Minister aware that whereas in the past when school managers had difficulty in filling vacancies and had to visit colleges of education to ask students to accept positions when they had graduated, managers now have 60 applications for each vacancy that arises? In the circumstances, will the Minister state what steps he is taking to provide work for unemployed graduates?

We had extreme difficulty in formulating an adequate reply to the Deputy's question because he will appreciate that many people who are qualified teachers may not be teaching at present. Consequently, it is virtually impossible to assess the number of trained teachers who are not working. From that point of view, I found it very difficult to give any quantifiable figure to the Deputy. In any year, there is a varying number of people who have not taught for some time and who then decide to re-enter teaching. It is very hard to establish how large that pool is and to state with any accuracy the number of qualified people who have not secured permanent employment. There may very well be many people who have qualifications but who are not endeavouring to secure permanent employment.

The Minister is aware there are hundreds of unemployed teachers. What is he doing to ensure employment quickly for them?

The Deputy is aware that in July the Government decided to sanction and provide funding for the employment of 300 additional national school teachers to provide additional employment opportunities for some of the graduates leaving the colleges of education and also to reduce further the pupil-teacher ratio. People who have taken up those appointments are now working in schools. In the period to the end of September over 100 qualified people who had not previously been teaching decided to re-enter teaching and who took up appointments in schools. Because it is impossible to assess how large that group is, it is very difficult to put an exact figure on the number of qualified people. In relation to graduates this year, the Government decided to employ 300 additional national school teachers to provide additional employment opportunities in relation to those graduates.

I am still trying to extract from the Minister what steps he proposes to take to employ the hundreds of teachers who are at present unemployed and who are seeking employment.

As I explained to the House, the Government made a decision in the summer to employ 300 additional teachers——

The previous Government made that decision, keep repeating a lie and someone will believe you.

Would the Minister please answer my question?

I have been accused of uttering a lie. It is incorrect to say that the statement I made was a lie.

I wish to bring to your attention, Deputy Wilson, that you may inadvertently have said that the Minister was repeating a lie.

Withdrawn.

I knew you did not mean to say that.

Would the Minister agree that the previous Government made a decision in 1981 about the employment of those teachers, as they did in 1980, 1979 and 1978? I am tired of prevarication.

In the preparation of the Estimates for this year, the previous Government specifically came to a decision in December 1980 to withdraw from the Book of Estimates which was being prepared any provision for the recruitment of additional national school teachers during 1981——

Not so. That is propaganda.

I am trying to answer the question. I did not raise this subject. It was because of that that the Minister of the day did not announce the recruitment of additional national school teachers at the annual congress of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation——

How would he do that when he was not even there?

Could we get back to Deputy Faulkner's question?

Does the Minister take any responsibility for providing employment for teachers who are unemployed at present?

The Government are anxious to see employment provided for all, especially for people who have received training for specific types of employment. It was because of that that the Government implemented a decision to recruit 300 additional teachers in the course of this year.

Would the Minister accept, if one is to judge by the number of applications for teaching posts, that there are hundreds of trained teachers anxious to take up employment? It is important that his Department should quantify this number if they are to reconcile the intake of teachers next September.

Yes, I agree with the Deputy.

Is the Minister aware that when I was Minister for Education I accepted the responsibility of the Department in respect of unemployed graduates on the basis that the Department control the numbers of students entering colleges of education? In view of the fact that the Minister relied entirely on precedent in relation to a number of questions yesterday, will he now accept the precedent set by me? If so, will he state what steps he proposes to take to make employment available to students who have graduated but who have not yet obtained employment in national schools?

I have already outlined the steps which the Government have taken in the last few months in relation to providing additional job opportunities for young graduates and others who are qualified to teach. Naturally, in the course of the coming year the question of future teacher employment prospects will be of primary concern to me, the Department and the Government.