asked the Minister for Education if he will state what would have been the approximate amount of extra money required as from the 1st September, 1939, to the 31st March last to pay the national teachers a bonus on the Civil Service scale (unstabilised); and also the extra cost that would have been involved from 1940 up to the 31st March last if the rates of bonus for the employees of local authorities under his administration had not been stabilised.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Remuneration of Teachers.
The basis of the remuneration of teachers of national schools differs widely from that of civil servants. The remuneration of the latter consists of two portions, a fixed scale of salary and an addition by way of bonus in respect of the increase in the cost of living since July, 1914. The amount payable in respect of bonus varies, except in so far as the Civil Service (Stabilisation of Bonus) Regulations, 1940 to 1944, apply, with the alterations in the cost-of-living index figure. The salary scales for teachers in national schools are not related to a cost-of-living index and the rates of salary at which they were paid on the 1st September, 1939, cannot, therefore, be regarded as the equivalent on that particular date of a basic salary with the addition of a bonus to represent the appropriate cost-of-living figure. In the circumstances, it is not possible to adjust their rates of salary on the 1st September, 1939, to the increases which would have been payable to civil servants in respect of the cost-of-living variations between that date and the 31st March, 1945, had the stabilisation regulations not been operative, or to calculate the amount of extra money referred to in the question.
As regards the latter part of the question, which refers to employees of vocational education committees whose salaries include a cost-of-living bonus, it has not been possible, in the time available since the question was received, to calculate what the extra cost would be if the bonus payable to these employees had not been stabilised. I shall have the information sent to the Deputy in the course of a few days, or if he prefers to repeat this part of the question on this day week the information can then be given.