asked the Minister for Education if he will state the results of his efforts to meet the demands of the national teachers, male and female; whether his offer on the wages demand has been accepted by the male and female teachers; if he will state the terms of the offer made to the male married and single teachers, and to the female married and single teachers; and, further, if he will state the reason for the differentiation of rates of pay between male and female teachers, for equal work performed by them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Teachers' Salaries.
The final offer made by me to the teachers has been rejected by the majority of the members of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and, as far as I am aware, that body represents both male and female teachers who are members. I have been informed by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation that 4,749 of its members voted against the acceptance of the terms offered, that 3,773 voted in favour of acceptance and that 599 of those entitled to vote did not do so. I should like to add that the total number of teachers in receipt of salary direct from the Department (i.e., excluding Brothers and Nuns in capitation schools) is about 10,750, so that there were apparently more than 1,600 teachers who were not eligible to take part in the organisation's referendum. Since only 4,749 teachers out of a total of 10,750 are definitely recorded as against the acceptance of the terms, I am unable to say that my offer has been rejected by the teachers as a whole, nor have I any information as to the numbers of married men teachers, unmarried men teachers, or women teachers represented in the figures of those who did vote.
With regard to the terms of the offer made to the various classes of teachers, particulars of the new scales have appeared in the Press on the 11th instant and I presume the Deputy has seen them.
As regards the differentiation of rates of pay between male and female teachers, the claim for equal pay raises an issue which could not be decided in the case of one particular body without careful consideration of its reactions upon all other wage and salary earning classes.
It must be borne in mind that the object of the offer made to the teachers was to afford improved scales of pay generally. Since existing scales differ for men and women, it would not have been possible, from the financial point of view alone, to provide improved remuneration for the various classes of teachers and to make special provision for married men teachers to the extent that has been done, within the amount of money available, if men and women teachers were to receive the same scales of pay.
In view of the result of the efforts of the Minister, will he state whether he would be prepared to refer the whole matter to the committee suggested by the teachers' organisation and let some impartial body deal with this matter and decide whether the Minister's offer is a reasonable one?
That is a separate question. The Deputy has not asked that question.
The answer is no, in any case.
I am glad the Minister for Local Government can enjoy and laugh so heartily at the teachers' plight. I want to ask the Minister what is the position now; what is he going to do to see that schools are continued; and is he going to meet the younger members of the teachers' organisation in any fairer way than he has up to the present? Is the Minister aware that a young teacher——
The Deputy may not make a speech.
Is the Minister aware that the younger teachers on the salaries they now have cannot afford to get married or even to buy clothing for themselves? Will he do something, remembering the fact that the Church——
That is not a question. That is a speech.
The Church has supported them. In view of the support which they got——
Deputy O'Donnell.
Is anything being done for the pensioned teachers?
No.
It is about time something was done for them. They cannot even afford to get their boots mended. They are the worst treated of all.
As I explained to the House on more than one occasion, pensioned teachers cannot be dealt with as distinct from other classes of pensioned public servants. The Government has come to a decision in that matter. It was announced by the former Minister for Finance, now President Ó Ceallaigh, that one particular class could not be dealt with and, therefore, the question of teachers on pension cannot be dealt with unless the whole body of superannuated public servants are also dealt with.