Sinn Fein rep says cost of living is driving teachers out of Dublin

Sinn Fein representative for Dublin Rathdown Shaun Tracey says the cost of living and the housing crisis is driving teachers out of south Dublin.

Tracey was speaking last week after a local secondary school in Dublin Rathdown asked parents of students to lobby local politicians about the lack of available teachers in the area.

In an email sent to parents, the school in question said that six of its teachers were moving to other counties because it is “increasingly difficult to in live in Dublin and certainly cannot afford to buy property.

“Sadly, a few of our teachers are relocating out of Dublin and we wish them every success in their new schools,” the email read.

“We have been very lucky as we advertised early and have managed to recruit some very capable, experienced, and well qualified teachers.”

However, the school says that other schools in the area are struggling to find teachers to fill vacant roles.

“We attended a conference earlier this week where we spoke with principals and deputies from the surrounding area and many of them are struggling with recruiting, with one principal having five interviews cancelled that day due to teachers being offered jobs outside of Dublin.”

The email encouraged parents to “lobby” politicians about “the scarcity of teachers in the Dublin area.

“There are currently 34 schools in Dublin looking for teachers with some schools receiving no applications.”

Tracey says that the scarcity of teachers is indicative of the current cost of living and shows that the Government “is sitting on its hands” and “telling people to wait until Ocotber’s budget.

“We need action on the cost of living now.”

Tracey says that Sinn Fein “brought forward detailed, costed and deliverable proposals to address the cost of living crisis including a cost of living cash payment for people who need it, a cut and freeze in rents and a month’s rent back into renters’ pockets with a refundable tax credit.

“We need to cut childcare costs by two thirds, as they are far too expensive for families. We must cut the price of petrol and heating, so that they are affordable,” he says.

“The Government cannot continue to sit on its hands if it wants to avoid a crisis of public services in Dublin.

“If teachers cannot afford to live here then surely Gardaí, nurses and other public servants are facing similar struggles.”