Terence Flanagan
Question:1338. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding teachers' pay (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32116/15]
View answerTuesday, 22 September 2015
Questions (1338)
Written answers
The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their educational services through the month of July. The programme is also available for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where a school chooses not to extend their services for July, all eligible children will be granted home based July provision, on application.
In 2009 a common pay date was introduced for the payment of the July Programme to both the school based and home based programmes.
This year's common pay date of 5th November 2015 was well advertised prior to the start of the July Education Programme.
The certainty granted to parents and tutors with a fixed payment date increases efficiency in this regard, as staff will be able to channel their efforts into processing payments rather that dealing with numerous queries on payment dates. This decision was made after consideration of available staffing resources within the Department and there are no plans to change from this arrangement.