275. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether job-sharing teachers were permitted to undertake substitute teaching on their non-teaching days under arrangements that applied in previous school years; if so, the years during which such arrangements applied; and the reasons these arrangements may not been continued for the 2026/2027 school year. [66594/26]

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, was suspended on a temporary basis for the 2020/2021 school year. This temporary arrangement has been extended on an annual 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.