In a bid to address the recruitment and retention crisis, the Irish government is considering providing a €2,000 incentive payment to those newly qualified teachers who take up a full-time teaching role for the forthcoming school year.
The amount, however, will be paid at the end of the academic year in 2025.
According to a report in The Irish Times, an estimated 2,000 teachers who have completed their professional master’s of education (PME) are set to benefit from this scheme if they take up a full-time teaching role during the 2024-25 school year.
The move comes at a time when primary and secondary schools have been struggling to find qualified teachers in Ireland.
Several factors, such as the cost of accommodation in urban areas, better opportunities abroad, or other roles in the private sector, have contributed to the shortage of qualified teachers in the country.