13,540 unqualified individuals were employed to teach in Irish schools in 2024, according to new Department of Education figures obtained by TG4's 7LÁ programme.
According to the figures, which were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 98% of Irish primary schools (3,029) employed unqualified individuals in the 2023/2024 school year, which amounts to 8,883 unqualified individuals.
The figures also show that 65% of Irish post-primary schools (472) employed unqualified individuals in the 2023/2024 school year, which amounts to 4,657 unqualified individuals who were employed in post-primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.
A total amount of 13,540 unqualified individuals were employed in 3,501 in Irish primary and post-primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.
The data 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 Education and Training Board schools.
Amendment of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 in the Education (Amendment Act 2012) 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.
In response to the 7LÁ disclosure on unqualified substitutes in primary schools, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation stated that it 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 a number of actions in order to address the issue, including an additional 300 places per year on initial teacher education courses per year "until the crisis is overcome".
It wants a national teacher supply commission to "develop long-term solutions for teacher supply".
The INTO also said that it wants a "targeted international recruitment campaign to bring experienced Irish teacher's home", as well as "urgent action" on housing and living costs in order to retain existing teachers.
Meanwhile, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland stated that the data confirms "an unprecedented number of teacher vacancies in Irish schools".
The union said a key factor 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 ASTI said.
"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."
In response to 7LÁ's findings, the Department of Education said that it is a legal requirement for a teacher to be registered with the Teaching Council to receive a salary paid by the State, and that a teacher must have a recognised teaching qualification.
In a statement, the department said: "If a qualified teacher is not registered for the route they are teaching but is qualified under another route, they may be paid the unqualified rate of pay, although they are a registered teacher.
"A person who is not a registered teacher with the Teaching Council under any route may be employed under specific, limited circumstances, for up to five days."
