Galway took centre stage in the national education debate this week as the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO ) held its annual Congress in the city, drawing hundreds of delegates from across the country alongside the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee.
The event provided a powerful platform for the country's frontline educators to demand immediate action on critical issues facing the education sector, including teacher shortages, rural school support, and the overwhelming workload faced by school leaders.
Galway congress pushes for DEIS+ overhaul
While the INTO welcomed the Government's plans for a new DEIS+ scheme, which has been designed to support schools in areas of 'socio-economic disadvantage', but warned that 'piecemeal measures will not deliver meaningful change'.
In a passionate address to delegates in Galway, INTO general secretary John Boyle called for 'structural, sustained support' rather than temporary fixes or gestures of goodwill.
Backed by a resounding resolution, the union laid out a bold vision to transform education in disadvantaged communities. Key proposals included deploying multidisciplinary teams to schools, cutting class sizes, hiring full-time home-school liaison officers, and introducing in-school preschool education led by qualified primary teachers.
“Every child, regardless of postcode, deserves a fair shot,” Boyle told delegates. His message resonated strongly in Galway, where many schools serve communities impacted by poverty and intergenerational disadvantage.
Teacher shortages push schools to breaking point
Delegates were presented with stark new figures highlighting the scale of Ireland’s worsening teacher shortage. A joint survey conducted by INTO and the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN ) revealed that there were a whopping 951 unfilled teaching posts in primary and special schools, a figure that is expected to rise almost three times higher by the start of the new school year.
According to INTO delegates, schools are increasingly forced to rely on unqualified staff or redeploy special education teachers, leaving vulnerable pupils without the support they need. Boyle described the situation as 'a national crisis', blaming factors such as long pay scales, reduced allowances, and soaring housing costs, particularly in urban centres like Galway, where rent costs rival those in Dublin, for making the profession less attractive.
Congress called for urgent reforms, including a shorter pay scale, restoration of allowances lost during austerity, and accelerated progress under the public sector pay agreement.
Small schools at the heart of rural Ireland
Issues close to home for many western attendees were also brought to the fore. INTO called for the national rollout of the Small Schools Action Research Project, which is currently being trialled in six school clusters.
Speaking from the floor, Tuam delegate Aidan Burke captured the sentiment of many rural educators, saying, “In many towns, the school is the last public service standing — the heart of the community.”
With 1,300 small schools making up nearly half of all Irish primaries, the union is demanding full-time administrative support, shared leadership roles, and targeted investment to ensure their survival.
Principals sound alarm on workload crisis
The strain on school principals was another major theme, with INTO revealing that school leaders now work an estimated 600 additional hours annually, much of it unpaid and outside school hours.
“Leading learning is being pushed aside for admin overload,” said Cork delegate Ian Horgan. Delegates supported motions calling for two leadership days per week for teaching principals, a reduction in pupil enrolment thresholds for appointing administrative principals, and pay parity with their post-primary counterparts.
Galway sets the stage for a national reckoning
As the INTO Congress 2025 wrapped up this Wednesday, a key factor remained consistent throughout the three-day event: teachers are united in their calls for real investment in equity, staffing and school leadership.
