PRIMARY SCHOOLS are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit principals, the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) has said.
"A number of pieces of legislation have come into force in recent years, placing more legal accountability on principals, making the job less attractive for teachers," said IPPN spokesman John Curran.
Between six and seven teachers applied for each principal position 10 years ago, and now less than two teachers were applying for each job, with some schools having to advertise the position several times, he added.
Mr Curran said principals had to take on managerial roles, traditionally associated with boards of management, as the boards didn't have the resources to carry out their functions.
He said principals' salaries was another factor leading to the shortage: "Principals get paid a teacher's salary and an extra allowance - it is the only management role in the sector where you are paid the same as the people you are managing."
John Carr, general secretary for the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) also attributed the shortage of primary principals to pay and workload factors. "More than 70 per cent of national school principals are teaching classes on top of their already heavy workload, which includes fundraising and managerial roles."
He said primary schools were facing a "cash crisis" due to increased energy, water, insurance and cleaning costs, resulting in principals having to carry out an increasing amount of fundraising.
Mr Carr said the number of applications for the posts have fallen considerably, particularly with regard to small schools, and that the agreed pay increase to principals had yet to be paid.
Responding to the criticism that primary schools have less funds, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education said: "Primary schools are now getting over €178 per pupil to meet their day-to-day running costs, an increase of nearly 70 per cent on the 2002 rate of €105 and €15 more per child than they got last year."
The news follows strong criticism of the Department of Education's decision to withdraw funding for a shuttle bus used to transport pupils to classes in three different school buildings, which are half a mile apart.
Independent MEP Marian Harkin said the department had "compounded its failure to deliver a single-site school by withdrawing funding for the shuttle bus" in the Co Leitrim town of Ballinamore.
"Would this type of mean action occur in any constituency which has a Cabinet Minister, and would any Minister's child be asked to walk half a mile between classrooms in the rain carrying books?" she asked.