Michael Ring
Ceist:359 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a letter sent by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo to his Department has not been answered. [29921/01]
Written Answers. - Departmental Correspondence.
I have been informed that the correspondence referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department on the 23 October 2001. I understand from my officials that a response to the correspondence issued on 23 November 2001.
The subject matter of the correspondence related to the payment of a teacher at the untrained rate of pay. To qualify for the trained rate of pay for service in a temporary capacity in a primary school, a person requires either a primary or secondary teaching qualification. A primary teaching qualification can be obtained by a person undertaking a recognised primary teaching training course and gaining a recognised primary teaching qualification. Such a qualification is usually achieved by a person graduating from one of the recognised teacher training courses in the colleges of education, including the postgraduate conversion courses.
Secondary trained teachers, that is, persons holding a recognised primary degree together with a higher diploma in education, which would normally entitle an individual to teach at post-primary level, are also entitled to be remunerated at the trained rate of pay for work in a temporary capacity in a primary school.
As the person in question does not possess either of the above qualifications she is therefore only entitled to the untrained rate of pay.
Question No. 360 answered with Question No. 343.