Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education, Sorca Clarke, has described Fianna Fáil Education Minister Norma Foley’s description of the teacher shortage crisis as an ‘opportunity’ as yet another tone deaf insult of the teaching profession by the outgoing government.

Sorca Clarke said:

“Minister Norma Foley telling schools who are stretched to breaking point that teacher shortages represent an ‘opportunity’ is staggering, tone deaf, and yet another insult of the teaching profession from the outgoing government.

“What this election campaign has told us is that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have zero appreciation for the work our teachers do, or the pressures that they are under.

“This latest insult came just 10 days after videos emerged of the contemptible jeering and demeaning of teachers at a Fine Gael election event.

“Now it appears it is Fianna Fáil’s turn to insult an entire profession.

“How, after over four years as Minister for Education, can Norma Foley fail to grasp the immense and unsustainable pressures that schools are under to recruit staff?

“The reality is that Norma Foley’s tenure in Education has resulted in schools across the state repeatedly reporting difficulties in recruiting teaching staff, with many posts readvertised numerous times. Currently there are over 100 posts actively advertised in primary schools alone.

“That is absolutely not an opportunity, it is a crisis. A crisis created by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

“A crisis that will get worse with every day Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael remain in government as more and more young teachers leave our shores, experienced teachers leave the profession, and others are priced out of areas with schools crying out to hire them because of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-made housing crisis.

“Teachers deserve so much more than this, but the comments and carry-on of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the past 10 days once again show that they have no interest in valuing our teachers, improving our education system or reducing class sizes.

“There is an opportunity here, but not how Norma Foley presented it.

“The opportunity here is that, for the first time in 100 years, the public have the choice to vote for a government without Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and elect a Sinn Féin government that values our education system and that will stand up for teachers.

“A Sinn Féin government would ensure we have enough teachers, and ensure that teachers currently working abroad can see a future for themselves where they return to Ireland to build the lives for themselves denied to them by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”