Departmental Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 July 2012

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

Questions (104, 105, 106)

Sean Fleming

Question:

104 Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills in respect of 2011, the best estimate for 2012 of the number of persons in the following salary ranges and the total cost of the increments in respect of the persons in each of these salary ranges: less than €40,000; between €40,001 - €50,000; between €50,001 - €60,000; between €60,001 - €70,000; between €70,001 - €80,000; between €80,001 - €90,000; between €90,001 - €100,000; and more than €100,001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32790/12]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

The number of persons whose salary is within the pay ranges requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below.

It is not possible to provide this information in relation to personnel employed in Vocational Education Committees (VECs) as my Department does not hold information on payments other than the basic salary scales applicable to VEC employees. Each VEC is a separate employer operating its own payroll system and, accordingly, the information sought would require an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. However, an estimate in relation to teachers employed by VECs has been included in the table.

It is not possible to provide the information requested in relation to the cost of increments of the persons in each of these salary ranges.

Pay Range	Primary Teachers	Voluntary Secondary, Community and Compre-hensive Teachers	Estimated number of VEC Teachers	Non-Teaching Staff in Primary, Voluntary Secondary, Community and Compre-hensive Schools	Department of Education and Skills Staff	State Exams Commission	Residential Institutes Redress Board	National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA)	Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse	Council for Irish Language Education
Range <= 40,000	3,558	432	242	10,805	520	154	15	4	1	—
Range between 40,000.01 and 50,000	10,082	4,310	2,414	100	217	33	5	1	2	1
Range between 50,000.01 and 60,000	7,115	5,133	2,874	—	167	15	—	3	1	1
Range between 60,000.01 and 70,000	7,122	4,453	2,494	—	60	2	—	2	—	—
Range between 70,000.01 and 80,000	3,176	1,979	1,108	—	94	5	1	1	—	—
Range between 80,000.01 and 90,000	784	355	199	—	173	12	1	2	1	—
Range between 90,000.01 and 10,000	134	217	122	—	67	5	—	2	—	1
Range > 100,000	—	260	146	—	32	3	—	2	2	—

Notes: The figures in relation to Teachers and Non-Teaching Staff in Primary and Post-Primary Schools above do not include casual employees.

The figures for Post-Primary Teachers (excl VEC) are low as they do not include teachers that retired during the period January-June 2012. They were replaced by casual part-time teachers during those months.

The figures provided in respect of teachers in VECs is an estimate as the actual figures are not readily available.

Tom Fleming

Question:

105 Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of the over 9,000 persons from the public service who have retired over the past six months with high tax-free lump sum payments in many cases and substantial pensions who have been re-hired on contract; if these person’s are now being paid on the double by the State, that is, their pension and the salary they are receiving under the new contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33077/12]

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn)

The information sought is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Simon Harris

Question:

106 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the procedures in place to manage sick leave in all agencies, offices or other bodies reporting to his Department, separate to individuals working directly for his Department; the combined number of sick days taken by staff in the agencies, offices or other bodies reporting to his Department in 2011 and to date in 2012; the financial cost of this sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32565/12]

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

Negotiations are ongoing at the moment with regard to revising sick leave arrangements across the public sector and it is expected that these discussions will be finalised in the coming weeks. Management of sick leave in all agencies, offices and other bodies reporting to my Department is a matter for the individual agencies, offices and bodies concerned. I am assured however that all the agencies, bodies and offices have in place attendance management procedures and that these are in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Department of Finance circulars.

The following is a summary of the combined number of sick days taken by staff in the agencies, offices or other bodies reporting to my Department in 2011 and to date in 2012:

2011 — 11,919.36 sick days taken.

These figures include sick days taken in the Office of Public Works (OPW) up to the end of March 2012. The OPW have advised me that they will provide details in relation to the period 1st April 2012 to the end of June 2012 directly to the Deputy together with details of sick leave in respect of the State Industrial Employees.

In light of the returns from the various agencies and the ongoing negotiations with regard to revising sick leave arrangements I am satisfied that overall figure for the full year in 2012 will be reduced.