Nov 18, 2022, Independent: Cork primary school principal calls for doubling of supply teachers https://www.independent.ie/regionals/corkman/news/cork-primary-school-principal-calls-for-doubling-of-supply-teachers-42154594.html
The supply panel which provides substitute teachers for schools needs to be doubled or even trebled to cope with the demand in the north Cork area, the principal of a Mallow primary school has said.
Linda Dennehy, the Principal of Scoil Íosagáin in Mallow town, was speaking to The Corkman while attending the annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals Network in Killarney where it had been revealed that, according to a survey, Cork was among the worst impacted counties in terms of the availability of supply or substitute teachers.
"In Leinster the issue is more about the availability of teachers to fill long term posts but in Cork and the south of the country, it’s a lack of availability of teachers to fill a short term gap, like for a day or two or maybe a week, that’s the issue here,” Ms. Dennehy said.
“If I got a call in the morning from a teacher that was unwell, the likelihood is that I would not be able to get a substitute teacher for that day, “ said Ms. Dennehy. “I would need to use a SEN (Special Educational Needs) teacher or a support teacher for that class on that day and that would be taking that teacher away from vulnerable pupils.”
