Sir, – Carl O’Brien describes very well the challenges involved in securing enough teachers for our schools (“Schools struggle to find qualified teachers for vacant posts”, News, April 10th).
Vulnerable children were most affected by the Covid pandemic, and long school closures caused many to fall further behind their peers. The only way to bring these children back to parity is to invest more in their education. However, schools, in particular in Dublin, are experiencing an unprecedented shortage of teachers. Classes are being doubled up and, in many cases, sent home because there are not enough teachers.
The reason for this shortage is that young teachers cannot afford to pay the rents that are being charged in Dublin for even the most basic accommodation. Consequently, they emigrate or move to another part of the country. The Economic Intelligence Unit has, for the past three years, listed Dublin in the top 20 most expensive cities to live. It is clear to all of us working in education that action needs to be taken immediately.
Following the first World War, with the cost of living spiralling in London, the British government introduced the London weighting allowance.
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Its purpose was to make London affordable for public servants so they could help to rebuild the country after the war.
It is now time to introduce a Dublin weighting allowance so our public servants can afford to live and work in our capital city. If not now, when? – Is mise le meas,
AODH O CONNOR,
Principal,
Scoil Damian,
Dublin 12.