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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Early Retirement for Teachers.

I appreciate the opportunity to raise this important matter on the Adjournment. I would like to share the brief time with Deputy Micheál Martin who wishes also to express his concern about this matter.

The question of early retirement for teachers has been perennial for as long as I can remember. As far back as the early 1980s when I was teaching it was a highly emotive issue. In the last two days we have seen the most extraordinary development. Last Friday the representative of the INTO walked out of negotiations.

The case made by teachers' unions for a more generous approach by the Minister for Education, which recognises the stressful nature of teachers' work, must be considered. We would all agree that we need teachers to be, and teachers themselves want to be, professionals delivering a quality service in the public interest. The Minister should know from personal experience — if she was here I could remind her — how much energy and commitment is required of teachers. That commitment is shown by the fact that many teachers choose to continue to teach until they are 65 despite the fact that it does not increase their pensions.Primary teachers are entitled to retire at 55 if they have completed 35 years service. However, if they do this their pension is reduced.

Nobody is suggesting that inefficient teachers should be rewarded by enhanced pensions. Nor do I believe that anybody wants all teachers to leave the service at the age of 50. The teachers unions are opposed to reducing the retirement age from 65 to 50. It would be unbalanced to have a teaching service which did not include a wide range of age groups from the young to the elderly.If early retirement were made available to teachers at age 50 there would be no mass exodus from the profession.Few primary teachers retire at 55, although that option is open to all of them. In the last ten years the average number of teachers retiring between the age of 55 and 60 was 46 per annum, hardly a mass exodus.

At the teacher conferences last Easter the Minister promised that she would come back to the unions with realistic proposals. Unfortunately, what she came back with was more of the same. We are now faced with the prospect of industrial action because of the Minister's intransigence. By her actions the Minister has alienated the unions and at the same time created great uncertainty for those who are most unprotected, our students. I am asking the Minister to be more realistic and generous in her attitude.

I thank Deputy Keogh for sharing her time with me. I too want to express my concern at the fact that we are facing industrial action in our schools with consequential chaos and disruption for many students. It is totally unacceptable that the Minister for Education could not have found it possible to come to the House during the Adjournment debate to respond to the spokespersons for the Opposition parties — the Progressive Democrats Party and the Fianna Fáil Party. In many ways it shows blatant disregard for this institution and its Members. I want to put this matter before the Minister for Education, the person with statutory responsibility for it, and hear her respond to it in person.

It is important that the Minister puts all the cards on the table. As Deputy Keogh has said, commitments were given at various teacher conferences over two years ago and at last year's conferences a solid specific commitment was given that negotiations would be concluded by 30 September last. As we know, no genuine offer has been put on the table and none was put on the table until last week. The unions are concerned that what we are witnessing is a breach of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, which, in my view, is a very serious charge and has serious consequences for the social partnership that was so painstakingly arrived at.

It is time to put the cards on the table and to deal honesty and openly with the union representatives. The Minister should stop making promises that cannot be delivered on; it would be interesting to know if the promises were made without prior Cabinet approval. It is important that the issue be resolved and that the dignity and respect which is due to the unions and to the teaching profession be reflected in the approach adopted by both the Minister and the Department of Education.

Considerable research has been undertaken on the provision of an optional early retirement scheme. This is particularly disadvantageous and discriminating against second and third level teachers. I note that in the offer made last week, none was made to third level teachers or to members of the TUI. That needs to be addressed.

I would appreciate the Minister of State, Deputy Durkan, giving us the views of the Minister for Education, but I reiterate my concern that the Minister did not see fit to come into the House to debate this issue on the Adjournment.

The Minister apologies for her absence. Unfortunately, a prior engagement took precedence but I will do my best to reply on her behalf.

I thank the Members for bringing these matters to the attention of the House and for affording me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister.

The three teachers unions submitted a joint claim to the Teachers' Conciliation Council requesting that teachers be entitled to retire from teaching service on a pension from 50 years of age on the basis of accrued pension with ten added years. This claim was lodged in December 1992, before the present Minister for Education took office, and replaced earlier claims from the teacher unions for early retirement.

In April 1993 the Minister indicated that she was prepared to have discussions with all interested parties which would examine proposals on early retirement for teachers. The teachers unions' claim for early retirement is appropriate for discussion by the Teachers' Conciliation Council. It must, therefore, be considered in accordance with the provisions of the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for teachers.

In a statement authorised by the conciliation council in March 1994 the official side acknowledged that there is a case for early retirement arrangements for teachers in an integrated programme aimed at improving aspects of the teaching service. As part of this process it agreed, in principle, to negotiate changes in the teachers' superannuation schemes which would allow for early retirement provisions (a) in the case of those teachers who no longer find themselves able to function at an acceptable level of professional performance and (b) in situations where there are teachers who are surplus to requirements but who cannot readily be transferred elsewhere. It was also agreed that all outstanding aspects of the teachers unions' claim for early retirement would be examined by a working group of the Teachers' Conciliation Council. All parties to the council agreed that discussion in the working group would be substantive and would be concluded by 30 September 1994.

The terms of the conciliation and arbitration scheme for teachers stipulate:

That matters within the scope of the scheme will be dealt with exclusively through the machinery of the scheme, and that the proceedings of the Council are confidential and no statements concerning them may be issued except with the authority of the Council.

A meeting of the conciliation council for teachers was held last Friday, 10 February 1995. A number of issues were on the agenda for the meeting including the joint claim from the three teacher unions for early retirement. No statement was agreed about matters discussed at the meeting. However, in view of public comments made on the matter, the Minister considers that a statement should be made on behalf of the official side.

In line with the conciliation council agreed statement of March 1994 the official side's approach to dealing with the early retirement claim has been three-pronged in addressing major issues of concern. These are:

Teachers who because of stress and other difficulties find themselves unable to function at acceptable levels of professional performance; teachers who are surplus to requirements because of school closure, amalgamations and enrolment decline and cannot be redeployed; general early retirement provisions for teachers.

Proposals on procedure for early retirement for teachers experiencing professional difficulties were presented by the official side early last summer. This issue was tackled first by the official side because it addressed the problems caused by teacher stress. Increasing stress levels in teaching was the main argument advanced by the unions in support of early retirement. Indeed it was this factor in particular which led the Minister to indicate in April 1993 that she was favourably disposed to negotiations on this issue.

Progress on early retirement arrangements for teachers experiencing professional difficulties and for surplus teachers was delayed because the teacher unions would not discuss these issues further until the official side responded to the third item — the demand for a general early retirement provision. Due to the significance of the questions involved for public service pension provisions and costs, Government approval was necessary. The Minister had proposals ready for Government, following careful consultation between Departments, but other political events intervened. Government approval for an official side offer was not obtained until last week. The official side has now responded to this item on the basis of equalising early retirement provision for post-primary and primary teachers.

Negotiations on the teachers' early retirement claim must take place under the terms of clause 2 (iii) of Annex 1 to the Programme for Competitiveness and Work pay agreement. Under option A of this clause outstanding cost increasing claims must be negotiated as a package.

As provided for under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work the teachers claimed and were paid their full entitlement to date of a 1 per cent increase in pay from 1 April 1994 as a down payment on a settlement of their outstanding claims. Having taken the 1 per cent increase, no payment arising from a settlement on early retirement could be made until this year.

Last Friday's offer on early retirement was made in the context of a positive commitment by the official side to deal with a number of outstanding claims in addition to the early retirement issue. It was not possible to discuss these claims because of the reaction of the unions at the meeting.

The Minister considers that she is meeting the commitments she made on early retirement for teachers. However, if progress is to be made, the parties involved will have to be prepared to engage in further discussions, which the Minister would be very anxious to encourage.

In the circumstances, I know that the House will understand that it would be inappropriate for the Minister to comment further on the matter.

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