asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local authorities have refused to give vocational teachers employed in the vocational education system credited superannuation for the strike days undertaken in the course of the industrial dispute in 1985 and 1986 in contrast to the provision of such superannuation credit extended by the Department of Education to teachers in the primary and secondary education system; his views on whether the understanding of the teachers' unions was that such superannuation credit would be extended to all categories of school teachers; the action, if any, he proposes to take regarding his overall responsibilities to ensure that teachers working within the vocational educational system receive the same equality of governmental treatment from his Department as they have received from the Department of Education and its associated agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Vocational Teachers Superannuation.
189.
Vocational teachers superannuation is governed by the statutory local government superannuation code. Under the code only paid service is reckonable. This is in accordance with general superannuation practice throughout the public service and it is not considered appropriate to amend the code to provide credit for unpaid service.