Teachers will have housing reserved for them in cost-rental developments to alleviate recruitment shortages at both primary and secondary school levels.
Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed that teachers will be among the key workers who will have accommodation “ring fenced” in cost-rental accommodation.
The State-subsidised model offers long-term tenures and stable rents at approximately 25 per cent below local rates.
The high price of rental accommodation for young teachers is one of the factors that has led to acute shortages especially in the greater Dublin area.
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A survey of primary schools by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation indicates there are almost 1,000 vacancies across primary schools.
The problems are most acute in greater Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, where more than half of schools reported unfilled teaching posts at primary level.
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During the last academic year there were more than 400 teaching posts at second level which were unfilled, with a further 800 occupied by teachers who were not qualified to teach the subject they were delivering. The problems were worst in Dublin.
The draft Programme for Government contains a provision to “earmark certain cost-rental units for key local workers” though the details need to be worked out.
Last year’s Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act allows for a cost-rental “allocation plan” which will take into consideration “the proximity of the selected dwelling to the place of employment of the prospective tenant.”
This will allow young teachers, gardaí and nurses to be allocated cost-rental housing near their place of work, if they wish to avail of it.
Ms Foley said she had discussed the issue with the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien who agreed to put aside “significant accommodation for key local workers in new cost-rental developments, to include teachers”.
She added: “All of us in Government are conscious of the need for greater affordable accommodation for our young people, including young teachers.
“The Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act is now in place to provide ring fenced opportunities for key local workers, including teachers, in cost-rental developments. This will help to ensure that we have the staff available for vital local services in areas of high housing demand.”
The Government’s Housing for All plan envisages the building of 18,000 cost-rental units between now and 2030 though the targets may well be revised given the demand for the scheme.
Cost-rental is available for those with a net household income of less than €66,000 a year in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere in the State. It is typically between 20 per cent and 40 per cent below market rent.
A Department of Housing spokesman said the required legal and policy framework to provide for cost-rental accommodation for key workers is currently being worked on.
The spokesman added: “It is not possible to comment on specific details relating to policy commitments contained in the Draft Programme for Government at this time – noting that the Draft Programme for Government is still subject to approval by Government.”
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