asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will review the interpretation of the regulations concerning the recognition for social insurance purposes of part time teachers in vocational schools to allow account to be taken of hours spent in the school in preparation for classes, and in between classes, for social insurance purposes, rather than continue with the present situation wherein for social insurance purposes is confined solely to class contact hours.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vocational Part Time Teachers Insurability.
6.
The Social Welfare (Subsidiary Employments) Regulations, 1979 list a number of employments of a subsidiary nature which are insurable at the class J rate of contribution, unless the person concerned is mainly dependent for his or her livelihood on the earnings from that employment. In the latter event, the class A rate applies. The class J rate gives cover for occupational injuries benefits only. Employment as a "part time vocational teacher" is one of the employments covered by these regulations.
If the person is not mainly dependent on the earnings from the employment, the question of whether class A or class J applies depends on the definition of "part time". The definition used for this is "working less than 18 hours in the week". Thus, where a vocational teacher, who is not mainly dependent on the earnings from the employment, is working less than 18 hours, he or she is regarded as a "part time vocational teacher" and is insurable at the class J rate. If he or she is working for 18 hours or more, the class A rate applies.
In the normal course the number of hours worked, as recorded by the employer, is a significant element in determining the question of insurability. If some of these teachers are in fact working more hours than they are being paid for, the problem to be resolved may well be to ensure that the full hours worked are recorded by the employer. It would be most unsatisfactory, and indeed probably an unworkable arrangement, if the social insurance system had to obtain and consider the applicability of hours worked which for some reason were not formally recorded by the employer as having been worked.
My Department are about to commence an examination of the general question of the insurability of part time employment. In view of the Deputy's question, I have arranged that the Department will include this matter in their examination.
Is the Minister aware that it is only the number of hours that a teacher spends in the classroom that are recorded and that the hours spent preparing classes are ignored by the vocational education committees and that, therefore, an unrepresentative picture of the number of hours actually worked, as distinct from the number of hours recorded, emerges in the case of part time teachers for the purposes of social insurance?
I am aware of the problem which the Deputy has raised but as I have said this matter will be included in the examination which is being undertaken at present by my Department at my request. Nevertheless, the Deputy will appreciate the difficulties which are being caused for my Department as a result of employers not recording the real number of hours worked.