A new website, established by post-primary school management bodies here, will attempt to make it easier for teachers currently working abroad to find jobs at home.
Turasabhaile.com will focus on connecting schools with teachers who are working overseas, making it easier to match vacancies with prospective candidates, according to its backers.
The online platform is being supported by the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS), the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), the country's Education and Training Boards, and by the Joint Managerial Body, which manages mostly religious-run secondary schools.
John Irwin, ACCS General Secretary, said the beauty of the online portal was its simplicity; "We are adopting a very simple recruitment tool to enable potential candidates to be matched with schools which have vacancies. Teachers are being given the chance to express an interest in returning home and applying for a job."
He said the website would also help to assess demand for jobs, while at the same time identifying opportunities for qualified applicants.
Teachers will be given the opportunity to email contact details, a CV, preferred employment location, and specialist subjects to the turasabhaile.com website. Schools will be able to confirm vacancies and forward current school application forms for teachers.
Administrators will process personal details and match potential candidates with schools which have vacancies, based on their geographic and subject preferences.
Standard job application criteria and recruitment procedures and circulars will apply in order for a potential candidate to qualify for an interview with a school.
Schools linking to turasabhaile.com will also be encouraged to provide initial interviews over video link, Skype or similar platforms.
Minister for Education Joe McHugh is due to meet Irish teachers working in UAE countries when he visits the region next week.
The minister will attend a series of organised meetings in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Dubai on 12-13 June.
The level of interest in the meetings by teachers working in the area has proven greater than anticipated, and has resulted in venue changes in two of the cities.
By the end of last month more than 300 teachers had registered to attend the meeting in Dubai and more than 150 for the meeting planned for Abu Dhabi.
The ongoing shortage of teachers is particularly acute in the capital, where teachers complain that high rents are among a number of factors acting as a disincentive to working there.
