New research has found high levels of stress and burnout among teachers.
The Teacher Occupational Wellbeing Research 2025 from DCU Create is a mixed methods study involving over 1,000 primary and post primary teachers.
It found that 86 percent of teachers reported moderate to high levels of personal burnout, 85 percent reported moderate to high work-related burnout and 85 percent identified workload as a direct contributor to burnout.
Almost half of respondents also pointed to unrealistic parental expectations, the structure of work and the challenges of supporting pupils with special educational needs as significant factors.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) said it is calling on the Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton to establish an independent review of primary teacher workload as a matter of urgency.
The INTO said this would mirror the decision taken last Spring by the Northern Ireland Minister for Education who recently published the findings of a similar process.
"The intolerable and unmanageable demands being placed on primary teachers by the Department of Education and Youth and its agencies are a primary driver of burnout adding to substitute teacher shortages and long term vacancies," said INTO General Secretary John Boyle.
"Excessive administrative burdens, curriculum overload, long working hours and a lack of systemic supports are undermining morale and damaging the mental and physical health of our members."
"Our union is demanding urgent action to change this reality by releasing the workload pressures within Irish primary schools," Mr Boyle said.
The Department of Education has been contacted for comment.
