The question posed by the Deputy queries whether a teacher currently in employment who is not a member of the Secondary Community and Comprehensive Teachers Pension Scheme and who is subsequently promoted to a position of Deputy Principal should then become an automatic member of the Scheme.
The terms of the Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Teachers Pension Scheme are such that a person who was in employment prior to 1 March 1996, may voluntarily join the Scheme at any point up to their retirement, provided that they have been in continuous employment before that date.
A promotion or change of school would not constitute a break in employment, therefore the teacher retains the option to apply for membership of the scheme.
An eligible person appointed to a post since 1 March 1996 either for the first time or after a break in service is a compulsory member of the scheme.
An eligible person for the purpose of the Scheme is one who was appointed before 1 August 1996 and at the age of at least 21 years and provided they do not have a break in service of more than 26 weeks which continued or commenced on or after 1 January 2013 and who is a secondary teacher registered with the Registration Council, serving in a whole time post in a secondary school and was receiving remuneration paid by the Department or serving in a teaching post or in a post of chaplain in a comprehensive or community school.