asked the Minister for Education whether he will extend to secondary teachers the scheme whereby vocational teachers are granted incremental credit in respect of previous suitable service other than as secondary teachers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Teachers' Incremental Credit.
53.
No claim has been made by the Secondary Teachers' Association for the extension of the arrangement in question to secondary teachers. Should such a claim be made the matter would be fully considered in the normal way.
Could the Minister say what is the position in regard to primary teachers to the extent that it arises?
The question relates to secondary teachers.
I know I should have asked it earlier but the Minister may know offhand.
I cannot say offhand.
Could I ask one other thing? If the secondary teachers put in a claim there is no problem at this stage about conciliation or arbitration that would hold it up?
I should say it would be a claim at conciliation level.
There is no obstacle to that being dealt with at the moment as things are now?
Except in so far as the final new conciliation and arbitration scheme has not been adopted yet. The Deputy is aware that the secondary teachers were not satisfied with the original scheme and there are discussions going on.
If they put in a claim, does it mean that they would have to await agreement on the scheme——
These are all separate questions.
It is usual to decide these things at conciliation.
If there is not conciliation, is there any other machinery?
It might be that before much progress was made with the claim the discussions in relation to the scheme might have concluded.
When does the Minister expect them to conclude?
I could not say.
This is holding up Questions. The Deputy has been allowed about seven supplementaries and if each Deputy is treated in the same way we shall be here for a week.
Yes, sir.