asked the Minister for Education if he will consider amending departmental regulations to enable national school teachers who have reached a high grade of efficiency for the three years immediately preceding their attainment of 65 years of age, to continue their teaching profession while their classification remains at a high grade of efficiency and while they satisfy him as to their physical and mental capacities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Extension of Teachers' Retiring Age.
I am not prepared to modify the regulation requiring teachers of national schools to retire at 65 years of age.
Would this not be a method of saving money to the State by employing these able-bodied, mentally-fit men of 65 years of age and allowing them to continue as teachers as is being done in the case of district justices and judges? Surely they are as capable of continuing as teachers provided they were graded as efficient.
I do not know whether I would like to compare teachers with district justices and judges. Anyway there would be too many repercussions. I do not propose to modify the regulations.