3rd November 2025
A new survey on teacher shortages has confirmed a consistent disproportionate impact on special schools, schools in disadvantaged areas and in Irish-medium education.
Findings also reveal that a substitution crisis continues to affect a huge number of primary schools.
The survey of primary and special schools was conducted by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) during October, in partnership with the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) and the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA).
While it reveals a reduction overall in the number of vacant long-term posts from 2024, the findings are particularly stark for the following sectors:
- Special schools had the highest percentage of reported vacant posts at 56%.
- 43% of Gaelscoileanna, 35% of Deis Band 2 and 32% of Deis Band 1 schools reported long-term vacancies (compared to 10% of mainstream schools).
INTO General Secretary John Boyle accused the Government of turning a blind eye to the number of primary classes that do not have fully qualified teachers.
He said:
A few weeks ago, the Department of Education and Youth had the gall to announce that the number of teaching graduates ‘continues to be sufficient.’ They have failed miserably to back up their claim that this Government is ‘committed’ to ensuring that every child has ‘access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.’
“Our joint survey findings tell a completely different story – one of Government’s indifference to our children’s needs, including the need to be taught by fully-qualified primary teachers every day.
Other notable details from the survey include:
- A total of 565 schools responded to the survey.
- Of these, 19% said that they had not been able to fill all vacant permanent, temporary and long-term substitute positions.
- There are 234 reported vacant posts in primary and special schools across the country. (This means children in these classes or settings did not have a teacher available to teach them in September).
- The number of vacant posts was highest in Dublin (55% of schools had vacancies, including 131 long-term vacancies).
- Wicklow (41% of schools, 24 posts) and Kildare (39% of schools, 15 posts) are the next counties most impacted.
Substitution crisis continues
Some 60% (336) of the responding schools reported that they had been unable to source a substitute for an absence.
Significantly, 56 schools reported that they had 10 or more days where they could not get a substitute in September. In addition to this, 283 people with no teaching qualification carried out substitute work in schools up to mid-October.
The practice of splitting classes to cover for absent colleagues remains widespread: 215 schools reported splitting classes which resulted in 735 days of disruption to children’s learning in the first six week of the school year.
Impact on special education
The shortage of teachers continues to disproportionately impact children with special educational needs. In addition to unfilled posts in special schools, children in special schools are more likely to be taught by unqualified substitutes. Special schools have 24 unfilled long-term substitute vacancies.
Other notable findings on special education include:
- 65% of schools have had to redeploy a Special Education Teacher (SET) to cover for the absence of a class teacher.
- This includes three schools where multiple SETs were redeployed for in excess of 51 occasions up to mid-October, indicating SET provision in these schools was significantly reduced.
- There are 150 unfilled part-time hours in 72 schools. The bulk of these are special education teaching hours meaning essential support is unavailable to children.
Unfilled substitute posts
The survey indicated that there were 47 vacant posts on supply panels, but these panels (which have 590 allocated positions) continue to be the best option to provide substitute cover for short-term absences. This remains the case even in the absence of clear guidance (i.e. a Department Circular) about their operation.
These panels need to be augmented to ensure that every child has access to a qualified teacher every day, particularly to serve special schools, DEIS schools and Gaelscoileanna which show particularly high levels of unfilled substitute posts.
Department in denial
The Department of Education and Youth (DEY) maintains there are sufficient teachers on the Teaching Council register to fill positions. Our survey clearly shows, however, that schools are unable to access these teachers.
While the housing crisis has had a severe impact in Dubin and the east of the country, there are other relevant solutions available to the DEY within their remit.
INTO General Secretary John Boyle said:
This Government made it abundantly clear on Budget Day that it is prepared to continue presiding over the largest primary class sizes in Europe. They are clearly happy to ignore the reality that massive classes are regularly being subdivided. This is a political failure to address the ongoing lack of qualified substitute teachers in the country.
“The INTO has been steadfast in its demands for the substitute supply panel scheme to be augmented and expanded, yet this has not happened. The Government must reduce class sizes to the European average of 19 as promised in its own programme. There is no excuse for the inaction this Government has exhibited since its formation last January.
Solutions
In terms of proactive solutions, Boyle added:
The Department needs to look at attracting teachers to fill positions. We have the largest class sizes in Europe and it’s clear that reality, along with a broken system of providing support for pupils with special educational needs, are impacting on teacher supply.
“The delayed local bargaining process offers an opportunity for Government to restore and create incentives for working in special education, disadvantaged schools and in Irish-medium education. It provides an opportunity to make primary teaching as attractive as it once was. Again, the Government has shown its disregard by failing to close out the local bargaining by the due date of 1 September. Ultimately Ireland’s children are losing out badly because of this foot-dragging.