Our public services across the board are under massive strain because those we ask to work in them cannot afford to live in our cities and urban areas. One consequence of that where it is most pronounced is in our schools. We have a staffing crisis in our schools for a variety of reasons but predominantly because our teachers, in particular, younger teachers, cannot afford to live in our cities. That is having a massive knock-on effect on students, particular those, for example, with special education needs where teachers trained in special education are being reallocated into other classes. What will the Minister do to ensure that students in our schools who have additional education needs will get a fair education? That is not happening at present because of an absence of teachers to fill those posts.

I thank Deputy Gannon. The Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, are very much aware of this issue. They have already taken a number of steps, including on a temporary basis for the current school year that job-sharing teachers may be employed to work in a substitute capacity during the period they are rostered off. The limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break has also been temporarily suspended. The Teaching Council made regulations allowing for the registration of third year and fourth year undergraduate student teachers under a new registration route, route 5 for student teachers. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has agreed to a waiver of pension abatement for retired teachers returning to teach for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years up to 2023. The Department has put in place a scheme to allow post-primary teachers to teach in their subject area over the usual limit of 22 hours per week up to a maximum of 20 additional hours per term. There are a number of other measures and more will be taken if necessary.