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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 May 1969

Vol. 240 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Remuneration of Teachers.

15.

asked the Minister for Education the present position regarding incremental payments for national teachers (a) who trained and taught in the United Kingdom and who have now returned here to teach and (b) who were trained in Ireland, taught in the United Kingdom and then returned to teach in Ireland; and if he will alter the regulations to entitle all such teachers to incremental payments according to their service.

Teachers trained in Britain or Northern Ireland are given incremental credit for all previous recognised service in schools there when they have successfully completed their probationary period in national schools.

Incremental credit is granted to teachers trained within the State in respect of up to five years' recognised service given by such teachers in schools in Northern Ireland. This latter concession does not apply to service given in Great Britain because we do not want in any way to encourage the emigration of teachers.

It is a wholly illusory belief that if you will not give teachers who work in England the incremental advantage of their service there, this will prevent young teachers from going there and getting relatively higher salaries in the early years of their service abroad. What we want is to get back here good teachers who have experience. Surely it is nonsense to go on with the illusion that we should punish them for going abroad to earn a few extra ponnds in their early years? If they learn sense during that period and want to come home and help here, should we not make them welcome?

The Deputy is suffering from an outdated illusion in regard to the salary relativity. At the moment salary relativity is very much in favour of their staying here.

Then what in the name of God is the use of carrying on this archaic nonsense of refusing them incremental benefit for going to England to serve for five years at a lower salary to get experience to bring home to Ireland which we can have for nothing? Are we gone stark staring mad?

I was trying to get the Minister off the hook but he has stuck it in his other jaw now.

No. If the Deputy——

How many more mouths are there in the House which the Minister can put his foot into?

If the Deputy contemplates the problem fully he will see there are many reasons other than economic ones for the emigration of people from this country.

The Minister is talking nonsense.

It is not nonsense, especially in this case. There are many reasons why young people of 19 and 20 with a teaching degree want to go abroad.

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