Vol. 398 No. 2
15 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will make funds available to (1) carry out surveys on the level of stress among teachers, (2) provide reports and (3) make recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
33 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Education if she will consider establishing a confidential advisory/consultancy service for teachers suffering from school related stress; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I will take Questions Nos. 15 and 33 together.
Any proposals on the lines raised by the Deputies would normally be considered in consultation with the teachers' representative bodies and the representatives of the managerial authorities. To date no such proposals have been raised for discussion with my Department.
Will the Minister agree that the number of teachers who left the service on invalidity grounds in recent years has increased dramatically and that many of these cases were caused by stress related problems? Does she recall a newspaper article which I submitted to her recently regarding a survey which indicated that the cholesterol and blood pressure levels among teachers were at an alarmingly high rate? Irrespective of consultations with teacher bodies — for instance ASTI are carrying out their own survey — will the Minister encourage this sort of work and undertake it in her own Department because the health of a significant number of her employees is very obviously at risk?
In 1986 43 new disability pensions were granted at primary level; in 1987 43 were granted; in 1988 there were 47 granted and the same number in 1989. The number is not huge in the context of the overall cohort of teachers. The number of new disability pensions in the post-primary sector was 30 in 1986, 28 in 1987, 30 in 1988 and 30 in 1989. These figures seem to be relatively average. There is no doubt that teaching is stressful. I am aware of Deputy O'Shea's interest in the matter. The ASTI are setting up a working group to study the level of stress in second level teaching and I am sure they will be talking to us about the results of this study.
Does the Minister think that a study should be conducted on this subject with the support of her Department?
The route being taken now by the ASTI is perhaps the best one to take and we will be able to see what emerges from that. I should point out that everybody's lives are becoming increasingly complex. The route being taken by the ASTI is the one we will follow.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): We have already discussed this issue in the context of superannuation. I agree completely with what Deputy O'Shea has said. Does the Minister not think it would be much easier to readily accept that teachers are suffering from stress and consider the possibility of introducing early retirement as a solution? It is accepted that teachers are under stress.
During the course of the Second Stage debate on a mechanical type Bill — the debate developed into a very lively one — Deputy Browne made a very good name for himself with all the labels he put on teachers. Just before Easter the case was made by teachers for earlier retirement and this has to be considered.
May I——
A final question, Deputy O'Shea.
Does the Minister not agree that the public statement made by the ASTI during the Easter period — I also have information from another union — calls into question the statistics provided by the Minister, which I accept are the statistics provided by her Department? The statistics provided by the teachers' unions seem to suggest that the situation is much worse than the Minister has said.
We pay the bills so we know the amount we pay out.
That was only in respect of primary schools.
The number of new disability pensions referred to primary and post-primary schools.
People are required to have a minimum amount of service before they can be paid by the Department under the disability scheme. Therefore, the Minister's figures may not give the full picture.
If Deputy O'Shea requires further information I shall give it to him.
Would the Minister not agree, in accepting there is an unacceptable level of stress among the teaching profession, that one way of alleviating this stress would be to introduce job sharing for teachers, which is available within many sections of the public service?
Deputy Ahearn has raised this question on a number of occasions. As the Deputy knows, it would be very difficult to implement job sharing for teachers because of the need for pupils to have the same teachers follow through on their subjects. This proposal has not received an enthusiastic response from teachers.
