We hear a lot about teacher shortages, and the Government rightly says it wants to attract experienced teachers home from abroad but the reality on the ground can sometimes tell a different story. Teachers returning from abroad, including places like Dubai, are finding that years and sometimes decades of experience simply are not being recognised on the incremental salary scale. The justification given is that this work was done in private schools, even where those schools operated under rigorous inspection and accountability systems. Quite frankly, this does not add up. On the one hand, we are asking teachers to come home and, on the other, we are effectively telling them that their experience abroad does not count. There also appears to be inconsistency in how these rules are applied, which again can only add to the sense of unfairness and frustration. At a time recruitment and retention are already under pressure, this approach is not just unfair; it is counterproductive. Does the Taoiseach accept that the current system is asking as a barrier to teachers returning home? Will he commit to a clear review of how overseas experience is recognised so that policy matches the Government's stated ambition?

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