New figures obtained from the Department of Education and TG4 under Freedom of Information, show that 13,540 unqualified individuals were employed to teach in Irish schools in 2024. In all 98% of Irish primary schools (3,029) employed unqualified individuals in the 2023/2024 school year.
8,883 unqualified individuals were employed in primary schools. 65% of Irish post-primary schools (472) employed unqualified individuals in the school year.
4,657 unqualified individuals were employed in post-primary schools last year.
A total amount of 13,540 unqualified individuals were employed in 3,501 in Irish primary & post-primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.
The information is in respect of individuals or substitutes who worked in a teaching capacity in Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools.
It does not include data from individuals who work in post primary ETB schools.
Further to amendment of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 in the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), it enables a school in urgent or unforeseen circumstances to employ, for up to five consecutive days at a time, a person who is not registered as a teacher with the Teaching Council.
INTO Response to 7LÁ/TG4 Disclosure on Unqualified Substitutes in Primary Schools:
“The INTO is deeply concerned by the revelation that a substantial number of unqualified substitutes had responsibility for curriculum delivery in primary and special schools during the 2023/24 school year. This is yet another stark reminder of the ongoing teacher shortage crisis, which continues to place enormous pressure on schools.
The scale of this crisis demands an urgent, whole-of-government response. The INTO is calling for:
Unless the government acts now, more children will face disrupted learning, remaining teachers will have to carry an excessive burden, more school leaders will be pushed to breaking point, and the future of primary and special education in Ireland will be in serious jeopardy.” – INTO General Secretary John Boyle.
ASTI Response: "The data confirms that there is an unprecedented number of teacher vacancies in Irish schools. A key factor behind the teacher supply crisis in Ireland is that teaching is no longer seen as an attractive and sustainable career. Newly qualified teachers are struggling to get secure contracts and affordable accommodation. The salary scale for these teachers is excessively long. Second-level schools are under-resourced. Teachers face too-large class sizes and the resulting heavy workload. An overloading of new initiatives and programmes without adequate funding has damaged teacher morale".
