asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the hardship and inconvenience caused to secondary teachers by the payment of their incremental salaries quarterly, and if he will have arrangements made with the Minister for Finance to have their salaries paid monthly.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary Teachers' Salaries.
I have received representations on behalf of a number of secondary teachers that it would be more convenient if payment of their incremental salaries was made monthly instead of quarterly. I have inquired into the possibility of doing this, and I find that, owing to the conditions governing these payments, such a change would involve a considerable amount of additional work for which an increase of staff would be required; it would also involve an additional expenditure in the current financial year of over £18,000. In the circumstances, I regret that it is not possible to adopt the proposed change.
As the reference to "salaries" in the last line of the Deputy's question might lead to misunderstanding, I wish to explain that the payments made to secondary teachers by the Department are merely the incremental additions to their salaries based on length of teaching service; the main or basic portion of their salaries is paid by the managers of the schools in which they are employed. I see no reason why the basic salaries of these teachers should not be paid monthly, and if this is done it should tend to reduce or remove any inconvenience arising from the quarterly payments of their incremental salaries.
Is the Minister aware that national school teachers and people in Departments of the Civil Service who were formerly paid quarterly are now paid monthly, and is it not possible to bring secondary teachers into line with that arrangement having regard to the inconvenience caused to them?
It is not possible in existing circumstances, at any rate. What the future may bring is another matter.