1395. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth her proposals to provide funding assistance to primary school teachers living independently in urban areas, such as Cork city and Dublin city, given the high costs of rental accommodation in these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58813/26]

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.

Teaching is an attractive profession, and there are a significant number of newly qualified teachers graduating annually. Over 3,600 newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025, and CAO data shows a consistent demand for undergraduate ITE programmes. Salaries are competitive, currently starting at €45,379 at primary level and rising to €83,576 under the current pay deal. Teacher attrition remains low, with fewer than 3% resigning or retiring annually, one of the lowest rates in the OECD.

The introduction of location type allowances for primary school teachers would require consideration within the broader context of the public sector and are moreappropriate tonegotiations that take place as part of public sector pay agreements. This Government has implemented several measures to address teacher supply issues which have led to:

• an increase of 20% ininitialteacher 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 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 allowteachers who qualified overseasto undertake theirinduction 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,aproject 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.

I am considering further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce and ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.