Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2023
246. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will consider introducing an additional allowance for primary and secondary school teachers who work in city centre environments and face added, often unsustainable, living costs as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50874/23]
View answerThe Government is aware of the impacts of rising prices but these are a source of concern for society in general, of course, not just teachers or other staff in the education sector. As the current cost pressures are not unique to any one sector, a measure such as that referred to by the Deputy could not fairly be explored for any one group of workers. Any allowance like that proposed therefore, can occur only under central processes and any specific proposals would need to be considered in detail by my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, and the relevant unions as amendments to alter the allowances paid to public servants give rise to significant cost issues.
Pay and workplace reform measures for public servants have been governed by a framework of public service pay agreements for a number of years with the current agreement “Building Momentum” in place until the end of 2023. The value of public pay deals to the Government and the taxpayer is ensuring that pay costs are managed in a sustainable and orderly way and in a climate of industrial peace. The extension to Building Momentum provides for further increases of 6.5% to October 2023 (for a total of 8.5% to 9.5% over the entire agreement) for over 100,000 staff in the school sector as well as retired staff. In terms of teacher pay specifically, since October, a teacher on point 1 of the scale would earn a minimum of €41,390, an increase of more than €10,000 per annum since 2012. A teacher on the top point at least €77,000.
