New Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) President Anthony Quinn has said that the Government must urgently provide additional resourcing to ensure that students still have access to teachers across the full range of subjects. Second level schools around the country continue to face severe difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers.
Originally from Cullyhanna in Co Armagh, Anthony is a teacher of Irish and English in Inver College, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. He has been a TUI activist in a range of roles throughout his career.
Speaking today, the new President outlined some of the major challenges facing the education system.
TUI represents 20,500 members in Post Primary, Further Education and Training and in Technological Universities/Institutes of Technology.
Teacher recruitment and retention crisis
‘Second level schools are facing unprecedented difficulties filling teaching vacancies, a crisis that is being worsened by the scarcity of affordable accommodation. Our latest survey findings show that one in five schools has dropped subjects while just 3% of school leaders believe that the Government is doing enough to tackle the problem.’[1]
‘It is therefore unacceptable that just one out of every four recent entrants said that they received a contract of full hours upon initial appointment. [2] This is a significant problem at second level, where those starting in the profession are forced to survive on mere fractions of jobs and often have to be subsidised by family. It often takes several years for a second level teacher to secure a contract of full hours. This is ludicrous. Schools must be given greater teaching allocations so that teachers can be offered full jobs upon initial appointment.’
Expense of PME and teachers returning to Ireland
‘The two-year Professional Master in Education (PME) required to teach at second level is making the profession too expensive for many prospective teachers and means they effectively enter the workforce a year later, which obviously impacts on career earnings. In the current financial climate, a six-year training period (undergraduate degree and PME) is simply too long. The duration of this qualification must be halved to a year.’
‘An additional issue relates to the thousands of Irish teachers currently in jurisdictions such as Australia and Dubai, many of whom may wish to return here to teach. Currently, teachers returning from positions in private schools outside the EU are placed on the first point of the teachers’ salary scale here despite the significant and demonstrable experience attained in teaching diverse curricula abroad. This affects the overwhelming majority of those who may wish to return to Ireland from countries such as Dubai. These teachers must be awarded full incremental credit for their service abroad if they are to choose to stay in the profession.’
Third level student/lecturer ratio unacceptably high
‘At third level, the student/lecturer ratio spirals above international averages. This is a damning legacy of a refusal at political level to address the sector’s funding crisis in any meaningful way.’
Unsustainable workload increase
‘Across post-primary, further/adult education and in higher education, the sharp increase in workload caused by bureaucratic and administrative demands is eliminating personal time and resulting in needless meetings and a box-ticking culture. All of this is draining morale and deflecting from the core duty of teaching. It is also contributing to the recruitment and retention crisis with many choosing to leave the profession for other employments. Our education system must be liberated from this burden.’
Senior Cycle redevelopment
‘TUI members accepted the negotiated Senior Cycle support measures in a national ballot. The ballot was on the acceptability of the implementation measures and not the actual curriculum, which the Minister has the power to prescribe under the Education Act and which other stakeholders have no veto over.’
‘However, we have specific concerns about the system capacity for the roll-out of the Science subjects in schools that have been chronically under-resourced, the potential risks to assessment posed by AI and the additional resourcing required to ensure that no students, particularly those in DEIS settings, are put at a disadvantage by any of the changes. It is now imperative that these and any other arising issues are urgently addressed.’
Adult Education and Youthreach provision
'Adult Education and Youthreach are experiencing chronic underfunding, precarious employment and poor pay conditions as major barriers in the delivery of services. Staff are facing uncertainty in the roll out of the Adult Educator contracts and part-time, insecure contracts with lower wages than mainstream educators undermining the provision’s stability. Inadequate infrastructure and fragmented governance across ETBs and SOLAS weaken delivery, while short-term funding prevents long term planning.'
'Learners are encountering financial barriers, lack of childcare, and insufficient outreach, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups. Youthreach struggles with capacity limits, inadequate wellbeing supports, and unclear progression routes. Increased investment, fair pay, permanent contracts and a calendar aligned with Second level delivery are imperatives. A national strategy must be devised to ensure vital programmes can support lifelong learning and social inclusion effectively. Without urgent reform, Ireland risks failing vulnerable learners and exacerbating inequality.'
‘Shameful’ underfunding of Irish education across all sectors
‘The most recent OECD indicators show that of the countries for which figures are provided, none spend a lower proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) on education than Ireland’s (2.7%). For a country of our resources, this is shameful.’
‘Budget 2026 must finally demonstrate that the Government is serious about enhancing the education service to students through appropriate funding.’
[1] TUI Principals and Deputy Principals’ Association survey, January 2025
[2] TUI online survey of 1,038 members, April 2025