Minister for Education Norma Foley has encouraged schools to get involved in teacher-share schemes and extend the hours teachers can work amid an ongoing shortage at primary and secondary level.
Amid hundreds of unfilled vacancies a seven-year-old autistic child does not have a school place due to the teacher shortage and is suffering as a result, his mother said.
He was due to start at the Benincasa Special School in Blackrock, Co Dublin, two weeks ago.
However, the school's principal, Diarmuid Delaney, told the family that as a result of a shortage of teachers, Sean could not take up his place.
The eight-year-old is one of four pupils who could not avail of their places at the school due to a teacher shortage, the principal confirmed.
The school said they need eight teachers, but four resigned over the summer.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Ms Foley said a fuller picture will be available next month.
"The fuller picture for schools are available when the October returns are made to a school because in the opening few weeks of a school it can be quite fluid," Ms Foley said.
She said there is a 22% increase in teachers registered with the Teaching Council, including over 3,500 added this summer.
"We have in the last number of years never had as many teachers in the system as we have now," Ms Foley said.
"We have 3,000 additional student teachers making themselves available, but not withstanding that, there are pinch points."
Ms Foley said that many school are operating as they should operate, but that there are situations where schools are "challenged".
"We have encouraged them for example to become involved in teacher-share schemes. We have extended the hours should they so wish that teachers at post-primary would work, we are looking at every possible mechanism".
Cost-of-living causing some teachers to leave Dublin - principal
High living costs are leading to some teachers choosing to leave Dublin, Diarmuid Delaney Principal of Benincasa Special School said.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland however, Mr Delaney said there was nothing in particular that caused the staff to leave his school.
He said he understood the frustration of parents whose children are not being catered for in schools across the country, but described a difficulty in recruiting teachers.
"We've re-advertised again. We've advertised on all media platforms we could think of from social media, Facebook ... WhatsApp education posts".
Part of the difficulty is that schools cannot recruit throughout the year, so hiring is condensed into a very short summer window, Mr Delaney said.
"So, the difficulty we're faced with now is, we to go through this interview process. We're given a week's notice for the interview to take place and what quite frequently happens is that by the time they come around to the interview they've been offered a job elsewhere.
"So, while we do we have four applicants, I cannot guarantee that those four applicants are even going to turn up for interview next week.
"I'm hopeful. But all I am is hopeful.
"If they are offered the position, there's no guarantee they'll actually take it because there's just so many jobs out there at the moment."
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee acknowledged the impact of teacher shortages but defended the restrictions in place regarding how schools can employ teachers.
She said policies are in place for a "valid" reason.
A requirement that teachers are registered with the Teacher's Council and other policies are in place to make sure the system works, Minister McEntee said.
The Department of Education works with schools on a one-to-one basis to put a solution in place, she said.
She defended any delay to changes being made to solve issues, saying there is also a need to make sure any changes being made are "going to work".
Read more: Families left in limbo by lack of school bus service
School buses
But some families have been left in limbo by the lack of a school bus place,including Poppy Shankey, 16, who has regularly taken the bus to her special needs school in Clondalkin, Dublin, for more than a decade, along with an escort.
Minister Foley said more than 133,000 tickets have been issued, routes contracted, and then, in some instances, bus contractors handed back their contracts.
She said in many situations solutions have been found and Bus Éireann are continuing to work towards reinstating all routes.
"And in the interim grant funding is being made available to families who are not availing of the bus service because the bus contractor has withdrawn his contract," she said.
"Night and day work is being put in place to attract more bus drivers to support the contractors.
"Uplifts were given in fuel in the last while to support bus contractors. So, everything that can be done is being done, and I know that that is no consolation."
Ms Foley said there have never been as many students using school transport as this school season.
Suspended principal
Regarding the suspension of a post-primary principal over allegations of emotional and physical abuse of students, she said it was a live investigation, and it would be inappropriate for her to comment.
"We have in our schools very, very robust child protection procedures," she said.
"They are inspected by our inspectorate. All our staff within our schools are mandated persons.
"There are very clear lines of procedure, in terms of where an issue or concern around any issue within a school with regards child protection."
