Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
302. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if her Department will reconcile the service of a group of teachers (details supplied) who spent a number of years working in the School Competition Programme, with their pensionable service with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19012/24]
View answerMy Department has responsibility for the administration of pension schemes for teaching and non-teaching pensionable employees of schools in the primary, voluntary secondary, and community & comprehensive sector paid on the payrolls of the Department of Education.
In this regard, officials in my Pension Unit will review the list submitted by the Deputy with a view to establishing the teachers concerned entitlement to pension benefits under these schemes, and will arrange, if appropriate, for a pension statement to issue to the relevant teacher.
Those, listed by the Deputy, who were teaching in a school under an Education & Training Board( ETB) should contact the relevant ETB directly for assistance in relation to their pension benefits.
I also note the Deputy refers to service in the School Competition Programme, however I believe the reference was intended to be the Schools Completion Programme (SCP) and the response below address matters relating to this programme.
The Department fund the Schools Completion Programme through grant funding to Tusla's Education Support Service, (TESS). TESS have operational responsibility for the programme, but the employment arrangements lie with the Local Management Committee (LMC) who run the programme at local level and on most programmes act as employer.
The terms and conditions of employment, including pension entitlements are the responsibility of the employer.
