The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has issued an urgent appeal to teachers, including recently qualified and retired teachers, to apply to mark the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate examinations.
In a post on their website, the SEC said they will be appointing examiners right up to the start of the marking conferences in June and occasionally afterwards, to fill vacancies and in response to examiners dropping out for a variety of reasons.
They said that the number of available reserve examiners is currently very tight in all subjects.
Education and Training Boards Ireland, also posted the appeal on their website, saying that the positions were open to all serving and retired teachers "irrespective of experience" and to those who have just recently completed their teacher training.
The subjects where there are particular needs are:
Leaving and Junior Certificate Spanish
Leaving and Junior Certificate German
Leaving Certificate Business
Leaving and Junior Certificate Irish
Leaving and Junior Certificate Italian
Leaving and Junior Certificate Home Economics
Junior Certificate CSPE
Junior Certificate Religious Education
Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level Mathematics
Recruitment campaign
The SEC said in recent years it has run recruitment campaigns right up to the start of the marking process and has always secured the co-operation of teachers, including newly qualified teachers and retired teachers, in filling any vacancies.
They've also outlined what's required when applying for the position, they said applicants must hold a third level degree or equivalent, have recent teaching experience in the relevant subject area or related subject, have good organisational and analytical skills and be able to work to a fixed time-scale,
They also said that applicants must be available to work full-time for the duration of the marking and be resident in the Republic of Ireland during the marking period.