asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that the method of collecting retrospective contributions from secondary teachers to the superannuation fund biannually is causing hardship in many cases, particularly in the case of married men, and whether he will consider having the necessary deductions made monthly to obviate this hardship.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary Teachers' Superannuation Fund.
I am not aware that any such hardship is being caused. In point of fact, the contributions in question are not collected biannually, but are deducted at the end of each quarter from the amount of incremental salary payable to teachers in respect of that quarter.
Incremental salary is payable in quarterly instalments but, where a teacher so desires, a payment on account is allowed after the end of each of the first two months of the quarter, the balance due for the quarter being payable after the close of the third month. It is open to any teacher to request the Department to make a monthly advance of less than he would ordinarily receive so that the balance payable to him at the end of the quarter may be proportionately greater. This would, in practice, be equivalent to having the necessary deduction made monthly.