Minister hopes to use UK-trained teachers
Under proposals briefed to Cabinet by Education Minister Norma Foley, the Teaching Council will be requested to carry out a review of the registration process for teachers who qualified outside of the State. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos
The Teaching Council has been asked to consider the temporary reintroduction of facilitating UK-trained teachers undertaking their induction in Ireland to help with staff shortages.
Under proposals briefed to Cabinet by Education Minister Norma Foley, the Teaching Council will be requested to carry out a review of the registration process for those who qualified outside of the State and to advance plans to attract students from more diverse backgrounds into teaching.
Around 65% of primary schools in Dublin and 27% of schools across the country have not been able to fill their staffing allocation this year, according to a recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals Network.
A recent Teachers’ Union of Ireland survey found that 91% of secondary schools experienced teacher recruitment difficulties in the past six months, while 61% experienced teacher retention difficulties.
Plans to tackle short-term lettings in a bid to return up to 12,000 homes to the rental market are being brought to Cabinet by Tourism Minister Catherine Martin.
Proposals for a new short-term tourism letting register would see property owners requiring a valid registration number with Fáilte Ireland and those offering accommodation for periods up to 21 nights will need to be registered.
They will also have to input their details via an online portal and confirm they have planning permission, where needed.
The new system and legislation will provide for penalties for property owners as well as platforms in the event of non-compliance.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will bring proposals to Cabinet aimed at reforming the social welfare system so that workers who lose their jobs would be entitled to social welfare at more than twice the normal rate.
People with five or more years of PRSI contributions will be entitled to 60% of their gross weekly salary, capped at €450 per week.
A worker with between two and five years’ worth of PRSI contributions will be entitled to 50% of their gross weekly salary or up to €300 per week.
People with less than two years of PRSI contributions will receive the current rate of €208 per week but this will increase to €220 per week in January, as announced in the budget.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will seek Cabinet approval to progress the development of elective hospitals in Galway, Dublin, and Cork, with the plan to locate the Cork elective hospital at St Stephen’s Hospital at Sarsfield's Court in Glanmire.
He will also bring plans to the Government for the development of five new surgical hubs across the country to provide more operating theatres and more beds to help to tackle waiting lists, costing a total of between €90m and €100m.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will seek approval for an amendment to introduce emergency measures to allow for accelerated delivery of social and affordable housing on zoned local authority-owned or State land.
It provides for a temporary exemption from the Part 8 planning process in respect of social, affordable, and cost-rental housing developments by local authorities on local authority or State-owned land, subject to certain conditions.
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