407. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration can be given to a request concerning teacher shortages (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49704/26]

This Government is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.

Budget 2026 provides for a total of €13.1 billion investment in education and in youth services – an almost 7% increase on last year.

Budget 2026 provided an increase of €845 million in core current funding for education and youth on the figure allocated for 2025, while the total investment figure also includes €1.6 billion allocated for 2026 as part of the National Development Plan 2026 – 2030.

This funding reflects the Government’s continued commitment, under the Programme for Government, to ensuring that every child and young person can learn, thrive and reach their full potential. It builds on the progress made in recent years, while recognising that further work is needed to make education more inclusive and equitable for all.

Funding has been provided for 860 special education teachers, across special schools and mainstream settings, along with more than 1,700 SNAs, a €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS strategy and the DEIS Plus scheme. Approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS Plus schools will benefit from these targeted supports.

Schools in the DEIS Plus scheme will receive strengthened, research-informed supports across wellbeing, attendance, engagement, guidance, leadership capacity, community partnerships and access to services, including the introduction of a new positive mental health and wellbeing initiative to support a whole-school approach to student wellbeing.

In addition, school leadership supports have been increased and will see additional deputy principals in primary and post-primary schools in the 2026/27 school year.

Teacher numbers at primary level have reached the highest ever level in the current school year. Currently there are over 43,000 teaching posts allocated across the primary school system. This represents an increase of just over 5,000 teachers when compared with the 2019/20 year and this has led to a steady improvement in the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) and average class size during this period.

In recent Budgets, prioritisation was given to reducing the PTR in primary schools, which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. A three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.

The latest figures in relation to PTR shows an improved ratio of pupils to teachers from 15:1 to 12.8:1 at primary level when comparing the 2019/20 school year to the 2024/25 school year. In the same period, the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 to 23:1 and average class sizes at primary have improved from 24:1 to 22.2:1.

The Government has significantly invested in our schools and in our teacher workforce in recent years. The Programme for Government commits to make further progress in this area with an aim to reduce the general PTR at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government.

I am considering how best to make further progress as part of the annual budgetary process in reducing the primary PTR in the context of Programme for Government implementation.

As of November 2025, 2.5% of whole time equivalent (WTE) allocations, or 996 posts, at primary level were unutilised. A subsequent analysis of payroll data from March 2026 found that just 0.1% of allocated WTE teaching posts (24 posts) at primary level were unutilised. It is important to note that the decrease in unutilised allocations in March 2026 as compared to November 2025 is in part the result of a point-in-time analysis, due to teachers returning from unpaid leave at that time of year.

Teaching is an attractive profession, and there are a significant number of newly qualified teachers graduating annually. Over 1,800 newly qualified primary teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025 and CAO data shows a consistent demand for undergraduate ITE programmes. Salaries are competitive, starting at €45,379 and rising to €83,576 under the current pay deal.? Few teachers resign, with less than 3% of the teaching workforce resigning or retiring annually from contracted teaching posts.

To address teacher supply issues, the Government has implemented several measures that have led to:

- an increase of 20% in initial teacher education graduates (student teachers) between 2018 and 2023, and

- over 30% increase in the number of teachers registered with the Teaching Council since 2017.

My Department has recently published revised arrangements for the award of a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) to teachers; teachers taking up their first contract in a viable post will be eligible for a permanent position after one year, subject to successful re-appointment through a competitive process.

Recently regulations were approved to allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State and incremental credit is also available to teachers returning from abroad, depending on the teaching experience gained.

A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government, is in development. Additionally, a project focused on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland, led by UNESCO and supported by the EU Commission, is developing recommendations for addressing the main factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland.