The payment will be made to newly qualified instructors who start a full-time position for the upcoming academic year in the summer.

It occurs at a time when schools are finding it difficult to fill positions with teachers, partly due to the allure of teaching opportunities overseas and the expense of lodging.

The Irish Times reports that approximately 2,000 teachers who have earned their professional master's degree in education will be eligible for the incentive programme.

Some graduates have been reported to have been discouraged from teaching by the two-year qualification period and the approximately €15,000 expense of the PME.

In the previous academic year, schools reported a lot of unfilled positions, even though a record 121,000 instructors were enrolled with the Teaching Council.

More than 800 teaching positions were unfilled in elementary classes, according to a study conducted late last year by school management organisations spanning more than 1,000 schools.

At the second level, principals and teachers' unions reported that staff shortages had led several schools to discontinue or restrict instruction in important courses.

Each applicant who meets the eligibility requirements will receive the incentive payment in 2025; this payment is subject to taxes.

John Boyle, general secretary of INTO, stated that although the money is sorely needed, the union must have the specifics before any more young teachers leave the country.

"In primary school alone this year, between 40,000 and 50,000 students were not in front of a certified instructor every single day.

This year, there have been over 3,000 openings overall, including 2,000 long-term openings and roughly 1,000 long-term substitution crises.

The positions are being publicised. These young educators are making decisions as the schools close on Friday." According to the Department of Education, the programme is only going to be in place for the 2024–2025 academic year.