Brendan Howlin
Question:174. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to concerns regarding the difficulties faced by primary schools in hiring qualified substitute teachers to cover teacher absences as expressed by parents, teachers and school management bodies; the steps he is taking to deal with the difficulties; his plans to establish a number of panels of substitute teachers even on a pilot basis in a number of areas initially in order to give schools and children certainty regarding continuity of education at times of teacher absence; his further plans to include north County Wicklow, in which difficulties in employing substitute teachers are indicated in the coverage of a substitute teacher panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37079/18]
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