Urgent Teacher Shortage Hits Special Schools Across Ireland

UPDATE: A shocking new survey reveals a critical teacher shortage in Irish-medium, special schools, and DEIS schools, with 56% of special schools reporting term-long vacancies. The findings, published today by the Irish Teachers’ Association (INTO), underscore a growing crisis in education just as the school year progresses.

According to the survey, which collected data from 565 schools in October, 10% of mainstream schools have teacher vacancies, compared to a staggering 56% in special schools, 43% in Irish-medium institutions, and 35% in DEIS band 2 schools. The implications are dire for students who already face disruptions due to insufficient staffing.

John Boyle, General Secretary of the INTO, criticized the government for being out of touch with reality, stating, “The Department of Education had the gall to announce that the number of teaching graduates ‘continues to be sufficient.’” He emphasized that the survey results tell a different story, with 19% of schools unable to fill permanent, temporary, or substitute teaching positions.

The teacher shortage crisis is most acute in Dublin, where 55% of schools report vacancies, including 131 long-term vacancies. Other affected areas include Wicklow, with 41% of schools having unfilled positions, and Kildare, where 39% of schools face similar challenges. Across the country, there are currently 234 vacant posts in primary and special education settings.

The survey also highlights the impact on students, with 215 schools forced to split classes due to absences, disrupting 735 school days within just six weeks of the academic year. The situation is especially troubling in special education, where children are at risk of being taught by unqualified staff due to 24 special schools lacking term-long substitutes.

With a staggering 150 hours of teaching needed in 72 schools for part-time teachers, many special needs students are left without vital support. In addition, there are 47 unfilled posts on supply teacher panels, exacerbating the crisis.

Boyle called for immediate action, urging the government to implement effective incentives to attract teachers to these critical roles. “The local bargaining process has been delayed, which gives the Government an opportunity to restore and create new incentives,” he said, emphasizing the need for qualified teachers in special needs education and disadvantaged schools.

In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Education claimed that over 75,000 teachers are currently employed nationwide, with more than 43,000 in primary schools. They cited payroll data from March 2025, indicating that only 3.1% of primary-level posts—equating to 1,228 positions—were unfilled, suggesting that the majority of schools are adequately staffed.

However, Boyle refuted this, stating, “The Government has made it clear that they are happy to run the largest primary classes in Europe, and this, combined with a broken system for providing support, is impacting the supply of teachers.”

As this urgent situation unfolds, parents, students, and educators alike are calling for immediate government intervention to resolve the teacher shortage crisis. The future of education in Ireland hangs in the balance, with the need for qualified teachers more pressing than ever.

Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.