Sharon Keogan warns of 2,700+ unfilled teaching posts
Sharon Keogan spoke in the chamber on 2025-04-30 about a growing crisis in the education system, saying over 2,700 teaching posts remained unfilled and proposing measures to retain and repatriate teachers. She urged immediate action, calling for a chamber debate and for the Minister for Education to appear and answer questions.
Scope of the shortage
She said that as schools reopened this year over 2,700 teaching posts were unfilled across the country, with special schools and Dash Band 1 schools bearing the brunt. In Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare she said more than half of schools reported unfulfilled positions.
Impact on pupils and schools
She warned that principals are redeploying special education teachers to mainstream classes, depriving the most vulnerable children of necessary support. She described the shortage as the daily reality of split classes and principals overwhelmed by staffing pressures.
Teachers abroad and incentives
She noted that over 4,600 Irish teachers are working abroad, many lured by better pay and living conditions, and criticised the current offer of a €2,000 incentive as insufficient. She argued that these are professionals educated with taxpayer funding and that little has been done to bring them home.
Policy proposals
She proposed three measures to address the crisis - reduce career breaks to one year to keep trained teachers in the system, incentivise returning teachers with substantial financial incentives and support packages, and require newly qualified teachers to serve a minimum of three years in the Irish education system before working abroad.
Call for parliamentary action
She called for a formal debate in the chamber and for the Minister for Education to appear to discuss the issue and answer questions, saying decisive action is needed so every child has access to the quality education they deserve.
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I rise today to address a crisis that is eroding the very foundation of our education system, a crisis that this Government continues to ignore at the peril of our children's futures. As schools reopened this year, over 2,700 teaching posts remained unfilled across the country, with special schools and Dash Band 1 schools bearing the brunt of this shortage. In Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, more than half of the schools reported unfulfilled positions, forcing principals to redeploy special education teachers to mainstream classes, thereby depriving our most vulnerable children of the support they desperately need. This is not just a staffing issue, it is a failure of planning, a failure of policy and a failure of political will. Meanwhile, over 4,600 Irish teachers are working abroad, many lured by better pay and living conditions. These are professionals whose education was funded by the Irish taxpayers, yet we have made no substantial effort to bring them home. A paltry €2,000 incentive is not enough when housing costs and living expenses in Ireland remain prohibitive. We must do more. However, I propose the following measures. One, reduce career breaks to one year. Limit career breaks to a maximum of one year to ensure that our trained teachers remain within the Irish education system. Two, incentivise returning teachers. Offer substantial financial incentives and support packages to Irish teachers abroad to encourage their return. And three, mandatory service period. Implement a requirement for newly qualified teachers to serve a minimum of three years in the Irish education system before seeking employment abroad. These steps are not about restricting freedom, but about ensuring that our investment in education yields returns for our own communities. The current shortage is not just statistics, it is the daily reality for schools forced to split classes, for children with special needs left without support and for principals overwhelmed by the impossible task of staffing their schools. I call in this chamber to hold a debate on this issue, and I call in the Minister for Education to appear before us to discuss this and answer questions on it. We cannot continue to ignore this crisis. It is time for decisive action to ensure that every child in Ireland has access to quality education they deserve. Thank you. Thank you.
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