asked the Minister for Education the proportion of State educational expenditures represented by teachers' salaries and pensions at the present time; if this proportion has changed to any significant extent since 1960; and if so, the reasons for this.
Written Answers. - State Educational Expenditures.
198.
Information is not available in the precise form sought by the Deputy as separate figures are not maintained in respect of overall teaching staff as distinct from other staff at the present time or for pay and superannuation costs generally or for teachers in particular for 1960-61.
Overall pay and superannuation costs will account for 82 per cent of the net Exchequer provision in the Education Votes for 1988.
Pay and superannuation costs of national school teachers will account for 33 per cent of the net Exchequer provision for education in 1988. The corresponding figure for 1960-61 was 61 per cent.
The secondary teachers' incremental salary grant will amount to 19 per cent of the net Exchequer provision in 1988 as compared with 10 per cent in 1960-61.
Pay and superannuation costs of secondary, community and comprehensive school teachers will account for 23 per cent of the net total provision in 1988. The voted provision for 1960-61 was 10 per cent of the total.
The main factors responsible for the changes since 1960 are the expansion in post-primary and third level education services in the intervening years and the fact that the superannuation costs of secondary teachers were not a charge on the Exchequer in 1960-61 but were met from the secondary teachers' pension fund.
Separate data on vocational teachers as distinct from vocational education committee staff in general is not available.