Teachers’ Remuneration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 April 2012

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Questions (307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316)

Jim Daly

Question:

304 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers entitled to allowances under each of the 11 headings outside of salary and increments. [18212/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

306 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers that qualify for POR allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18214/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

307 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers that are signed up to avail of the supervision allowance; the average payment to a teacher for this allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18215/12]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 304, 306 and 307 together.

The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the tables set out below. Circular 3/2012 which is available on my Department website provides that allowances are not payable to new beneficiaries; i.e. those who become eligible for receipt of the allowance in question on or after 1 February 2012. The only exceptions to this prohibition are principal and deputy principal allowances. A public service-wide review of allowances, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2012, is currently being led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Number of Post-Primary teachers in receipt of Allowances 2010/2011

1. Qualification Allowances
Type of Allowance	Grade	Numbers in Receipt 10/11
		Vol. Sec.	C&C
Higher Diploma in Education	Pass	5,478	1,621
Higher Diploma in Education	Honours	7,990	2,505
Primary Degree	Pass	4,478	1,306
Primary Degree	Honours	6,928	2,260
Master’s Degree	Pass	136	47
Master’s Degree	Honours	2,200	734
Doctor’s Degree	n/a	115	22

2. POR Allowances

Type of P.O.R.	Numbers in Receipt 10/11
	Vol. Sec.	C&C
Principal	408*	102*
Deputy-Principal	396*	105*
Assistant-Principal	1,935*	648*
Special Duties Teacher	3,699*	1178*
Director — Adult Education	23	44
Principal — Adult Education	21	40
Programme Co-Ordinator/AP Post	194	58
Programme Co-Ordinator/Special Duties Post	124	13
PO Sports Complex Manager	Nil	4

*Inclusive of posts held on a personal basis

3. Supervision

Table
Number in receipt of allowance in 10/11	13,852
Annual rate of allowance	€1,769
Annual rate of allowance for teachers appointed for the first time after 1st January 2011	€1,592

4. Other Allowances

Type of Allowance	Numbers in Receipt 10/11
	Vol. Sec.	C&C
Gaeltacht Grant	53	119
Teaching through Irish	209	11
Special Education Allowances	167	108
Comprehensive Allowance	Nil	114
Children’s Allowance	426	113
35 Year Allowance	1,291	345
Secondment Allowance	41	14
Secretary to Board of Management	272	71

Number of Primary teachers in receipt of Allowances 2010/2011

1. Qualification Allowances
Type of Allowance	Grade	Number in receipt 2010/11
Higher Diploma in Education	Pass	887
Higher Diploma in Education	Honours	726
NT — PCW Allowance	n/a	2,106
Primary Degree	Pass	8,685
Primary Degree	Honours	19,617
Master’s Degree	Pass	70
Master’s Degree	Honours	2,876
Doctor’s Degree	n/a	46

2. POR Allowances

Type of P.O.R.	Number in receipt 2010/11
Principal	3,295+54*
Deputy-Principal	2,862
Vice-Principal	1
Assistant-Principal	1,138
Grade A Post	3
Special Duties Teacher	7,450
Grade B Post	14

*Posts held on a personal basis.

3. Supervision

Table
Number in receipt of allowance in 10/11	31,396
Annual rate of allowance	€1,769
Annual rate of allowance for teachers appointed for the first time after 1st January 2011	€1,592

4. Other Allowances

Type of allowance	Number in receipt 10/11
Gaeltacht Grant	612
Teaching through Irish	1,634
Island Allowance	31
Special Education Allowances	1,404
Children’s Allowance	1,299
35 Year Allowance	2,179
Secondment Allowance	81
Agreed Report — Payment to Principals who act as Secretaries to the Board of Management	2,509

Jim Daly

Question:

305 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the qualification allowance has to be relevant to the classroom duties of that particular teacher. [18213/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

310 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if any other member of a school board of management qualifies for allowances such as the secretary of board of management allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18218/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

311 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify secondment allowances for teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18219/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

313 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a maximum number of allowances that any one teacher can be entitled to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18221/12]

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 310, 311 and 313 together.

A teacher can hold a range of allowances. However, only one Degree allowance is payable at any one time, with the rate of the allowance being determined by the level of the Degree achieved. Where a particular allowance is regarded as a post-based allowance then the allowance is conditional on having the qualifications suitable for the post and fullfilling the requirements of the post. The special needs allowance is an example of this. There are other allowances such as Degree allowances which are paid to qualified teachers regardless of the duties being carried out. As there is a wide range of allowances there are also differing criteria agreed for their allocation and their retention. In terms of Board of Management allowances, such allowances are available to school principals who act as secretaries to Boards of Management as provided for under circular 79/2007. Regarding secondment allowances, in accordance with a 2003 arbitration report a standard pay structure for seconded teachers working temporarily out of school on national support service programmes was put in place. This structure provides for four payment categories, as follows:

Category One — Directors of Major National Programmes (or equivalents);

Category Two — Coordinators of National Syllabi and Course Support Services, Regional and Deputy Directors of Major National Programmes, ICT Advisors (or equivalents);

Category Three — Assistant National Coordinators of National Syllabi (or equivalents);

Category Four — Curriculum Trainers/Tutors (or equivalents): A public service-wide review of allowances, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2012, is currently being led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Pending the outcome of that review, and subject to very limited exceptions, allowances are not payable to new beneficiaries.

Question Nos. 306 and 307 answered with Question No. 304.

Jim Daly

Question:

308 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the means of qualification for teachers to avail of the 35 year allowance. [18216/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

309 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills under current rules, if it is possible for one teacher to claim both the teaching in a Gaeltacht area allowance and teaching through Irish allowance and the average payment each would be. [18217/12]

Jim Daly

Question:

312 Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify children’s allowance that is payable to teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18220/12]

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 308, 309 and 312 together.

The 35 year allowance is payable to teachers who have been on the maximum point of the common basic scale for a minimum period of ten years. The Children's Allowance is payable to teachers recruited before the 1st January 1980 who have an eligible child or children. An eligible child is defined as a child, stepchild or legally adopted child of a teacher who is; dependent on the teacher; aged 16 years or under; or aged under 21 years and in receipt of full-time education or is a disabled child. A teacher may only receive either the Gaeltacht allowance or the Teaching Through Irish allowance. Both allowances are never paid simultaneously to any teacher. The annual values of these allowances are €3,063 and €1,583 respectively. For new appointees after 1 January 2011 the values of these allowances are €2,757 and €1,424 respectively. Circular 3/2012 which is available on my Department website provides that allowances are not payable to new beneficiaries; i.e. those who become eligible for receipt of the allowance in question on or after 1 February 2012. The only exceptions to this prohibition are principal and deputy principal allowances. A public service-wide review of allowances, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2012, is currently being led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Question Nos. 310 and 311 answered with Question No. 305.

Question No. 312 answered with Question No. 308.

Question No. 313 with Question No. 305.