I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £494,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1958, for Secondary Education, including the Teachers' Salaries Grant, Capitation Grant, Incremental Salary to Secondary Teachers and Grant to the Secondary Teachers' Pension Fund.
The acceptance by the Government of the findings of the Arbitration Board for secondary teachers necessitates the introduction of a Supplementary Estimate for the provision of the additional sum required to give effect to the findings of the board in respect of the current year and also in respect of arrears.
In October, 1956, a report was received by the then Government from the Arbitration Board on a claim by the secondary teachers for a revision of their incremental salary scales which were last increased in November, 1952. The incremental salaries payable from the 1st November, 1952 ranged from £222 5s. to £619 11s. on the married men's scale, and from £164 15s. to £452 5s. on the common scale. A special increment of £45 3s. a year was payable to teachers holding an honours university degree or its equivalent. The incremental salary scales claimed by the secondary teachers and referred to the Arbitration Board ranged from £310 to £950 on the married men's scale and from £230 to £720 on the common scale.
The teachers also claimed that the special increments for an honours degree or its equivalent be increased to £90 a year. The scales claimed were inclusive of a cost-of-living increase equivalent to that given to public servants generally from 1st November, 1955, and were also based on the professional status of secondary teachers. The findings of the chairman of the board recommended, firstly, "interim" incremental salary scales, operative from 1st November, 1955, which were arrived at by increasing the former scales pro-rata with the cost-of-living increases given to other persons remunerated from public funds, and secondly, new incremental salary scales, operative from 1st August, 1956, which incorporated the cost-of-living adjustment and also a status element.
The interim incremental salary scales recommended with effect as from 1st November, 1955, ranged from £261 to £684 on the married men's scale and from £199 to £506 on the common scale. The new incremental salary scales recommended with effect as from 1st August, 1956, range from £286 to £760 on the married men's scale and from £218 to £560 on the common scale. In addition, a majority of the board recommended that the special increment for teachers who hold an honours degree or its equivalent should be increased to £48 a year from 1st November, 1955. The cost of the increased scales in respect of the period from 1st November, 1955, to 31st March, 1957, is £236,000 and in respect of the current financial year is £254,000 —making a total provision of £490,000.
In January last, the then Government announced that they were accepting the arbitration findings, but had decided to defer their implementation until provision had been made for the sum required in this year's Budget. For that reason the necessary amount was not included in this year's Estimate. The present Government decided to implement the findings and have made provision accordingly in the Budget.
In addition to the sum of £490,000 required for the implementation of the findings of the Arbitration Board, a sum of £4,000 is required to meet the cost of payment of arrears from 1st November, 1952, to 31st July, 1956, in respect of an increase of 5 per cent. in the special increment payable to secondary teachers for giving instruction through the medium of Irish. This 5 per cent. increase brings the maximum special increment from £36 to £37 16s. In August last, the then Minister for Education and the Minister for Finance accepted the recommendation of the Secondary Teachers' Conciliation Council that this increase be granted with effect from 1st November, 1952, and payment at the increased rate has been made since August. The provision of £4,000 in the Supplementary Estimate is in respect of the arrears payable from 1st November, 1952, to 31st July, 1956.
Payment of the increased salary scales together with all arrears will be made as soon as possible after the Supplementary Estimate has been passed.
