475. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the basis upon which there is a limitation on the ability of teachers who job-share to participate in substitute teaching; and if her Department has given consideration to reforming this. [64180/26]

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.

The purpose of the Job-Sharing scheme is to assist teachers in combining work commitments and personal responsibilities/choices.

A teacher participating in the Job-Sharing scheme may opt to share a wholetime post on a 50:50 basis or have a reduction in their wholetime teaching hours of 50%.

These Job-Sharing patterns have been agreed with the Education Partners with the aim of allowing teachers to participate in the Job-Sharing scheme while minimising disruption to the students of the school and ensuring continuity of teaching, as well as facilitating schools to appoint a teacher to fill the other 50% of the available hours.

Any changes to the terms and conditions of the Job-Sharing scheme can only be made through consultation and agreement with the Education Partners through means of the Teachers Conciliation Council and in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.