1487. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department intends to lift the restriction on job-sharing teachers substituting during their non-working days for 2026/27; if her Department is considering refusing the extension; the justification for preventing qualified and experienced teachers from filling substitute vacancies at a time when schools need them while at the same time continuing to allow unqualified students etc to fill these vacancies. [63379/26]

The Job-Sharing Scheme for teachers is contained in Chapter 8 of the Department’s Circular Letter Circular 0054/2019 titled ‘Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers Employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools’. Paragraph 11.1(a) of the Job-Sharing Scheme states a teacher may not engage in any substitute teaching whilst job sharing.

In response to issues raised in relation to teacher supply, the restriction on engaging in substitute teaching, imposed in the Job-Sharing Scheme, has been suspended for on a temporary basis over the last number of years.

Information Note TC/IN 0001/2026 has recently been published by my Department and provides for the extension of this temporary arrangement until the end of the 2026/27 school year.