Father urges support for teachers as work‑to‑rule begins

A father has said teachers “need to be looked after” as work‑to‑rule action starts across the country.

About 70,000 teachers in Ireland are now working only their core hours, meaning they are no longer supervising children before or after school. The change has forced many parents to arrange additional childcare.

On Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live, Dara Kiernan explained he has already organised his work schedule around a planned strike on 14 October so he can look after his six‑year‑old son. He said, “I’m a customer experience consultant and I work with both private and public sector,” adding a quote from Richard Branson: “Look after your staff and they’ll look after your customers.”

Kiernan said the government must ensure teachers are supported, describing teaching as a “thankless job” and linking it to broader public services such as policing and healthcare. He argued that tax money should be spent on looking after teachers.

The Government has indicated that teachers’ concerns will be addressed in tomorrow’s budget.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Hoàng Xuân / Pexels.