Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 March 2018
209. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the payments made to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas under the Oireachtas leave scheme for teachers in each of the years 1985 to 2000, by school, in tabular form. [13185/18]
View answerI understand that the leave and pay arrangements applicable to teachers who were members of the Houses of the Oireachtas during the period referred to by the Deputy were
(i) the teacher members of the Oireachtas were entitled to the payment of full salary and increments as recognized teachers by the paymaster;
(ii) fully qualified replacement teachers were appointed on a temporary basis and were paid salary by the paymaster;
(iii) the total salary cost of the replacement teachers together with their superannuation contributions and employers PRSI costs were deducted from the salaries of the members of the Oireachtas. The balance of salary, if any, was payable to the individual teacher members of the Oireachtas.
The paymaster of the members of the Oireachtas issued the balance of salary payment direct to the individuals and not to the schools in which they were employed.
It was announced in the Supplementary Budget of 7 April 2009 that the Government had decided to discontinue the arrangement whereby teacher members of the Houses of the Oireachtas could keep the difference between their teachers salary and the cost of employing a replacement.
There was a Government decision in February 2011 that teachers who became members of the 31st Dail and the 24th Seanad had the option of applying for a career break from their teaching posts. The option of applying for a career break replaced the special leave arrangements that existed.
The option of applying for a career break continues to apply for teacher members of the houses of the Oireachtas.
