I move:
That the National School Teachers' Superannuation (Amendment) Scheme, 1972, prepared by the Minister for Education with the consent of the Minister for Finance under the Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1928 and laid before the House on the 21st July, 1972, be confirmed.
The main provisions of this amending scheme are, briefly:
1. The national teachers' strike in 1969 will not interrupt pensionable service (paragraph 24):
2. The national teachers' pension scheme will be a contributory scheme (paragraph 7);
3. The establishment of reciprocity of pensionable service as between the national teachers' and secondary teachers' pension schemes (paragraphs 9 and 10);
4. National teachers who, in the past, had given service in preparatory colleges may have that service reckoned for pension purposes (paragraph 9);
5. A national teacher who had certain service in the Irish Folklore Commission and who had been allowed to have half of that service reckoned for pension may now have it reckoned in full (paragraph 23).
The national teachers' pension scheme has been a non-contributory scheme since 1934, a circumstance which was taken into account when the salary scales for these teachers were being drawn up or adjusted from time to time. On the other hand, the pension schemes for post-primary teachers were, and are, on a contributory basis at the rate of 5 per cent of the teacher's pensionable rate of pay and this circumstance, too, was adverted to in the drawing up or adjustment of salary scales for post-primary teachers. The introduction of common basic scale of salary for teachers generally as from 1st July, 1968, demanded that these discrepancies in regard to pension conditions be rationalised and, so, the superannuation of national teachers was established on a contributory basis with effect as from 1st July, 1968. Paragraph 7 of this amending scheme will give statutory effect to this situation.
In preparing this amendment I felt it was only right to have regard to those national teachers who had to retire, either because they had reached the statutory age limit or because of disability, at the end of the school year which ended on 30th June, 1968, that is, one day before the introduction of the improved pay structure for teachers. Accordingly I have provided in paragraph 8 of the scheme now before the House that these teachers will, in their pensions and lump sums, get the benefit of the improved salary structures. Post-primary teachers who had to retire at the end of the corresponding post-primary school year—31st July, 1968, for secondary schools and 31st August, 1968, for vocational schools —had their superannuation awards based on the improved rates.
At present the secondary teachers' pension scheme allows for the reckoning of national teacher service for superannuation purposes. There is not, however, a similar reciprocal provision in the national teachers' scheme for a pensionable secondary teacher who transfers to national teaching. Paragraph 9 of this amending scheme will rectify that anomaly, and teachers who have retired since 1st October, 1956, inclusive, will have the opportunity of availing of this provision where applicable and have their pensions revised from the date of retirement.
A small number of national teachers had, in the past, given service in the preparatory colleges but through lack of suitable provision could not receive pensionable credit for that service. I propose, in this paragraph 9, also, to give any such national teacher, including those who may have retired on or after 1st October, 1956, the opportunity of recovering the pensionable value of preparatory college service which ceased before 5th January, 1957; and where the opportunity is availed of, I propose to have pensions which have already been granted to these teachers revised with effect from that date of retirement.
It is my intention to have, eventually, pension reciprocity generally for the teaching services in order that there may be greater mobility within the teaching profession. Unfortunately there are difficulties—not the least being the necessity for amending legislation—in the way of including vocational teachers in reciprocity arrangements. These teachers are employed by local authorities and their pensions are provided for under the Local Government (Superannuation) Act 1956. My Department is at present tackling this problem in collaboration with Departments of Local Government and Finance, but it will be a little time yet before the necessary proposals can be brought before the House. In the meantime I thought it best to establish what reciprocity could be speedily achieved.
An amendment to the national teachers' pension scheme in 1967 allowed a teacher who had at least three years whole-time service in the Irish Folklore Commission prior to 5th November, 1951, to reckon half of that service for pension. As the number of teachers involved is insignificant, and having regard to the nature of the work of the former Irish Folklore Commission, I consider that a more liberal approach is warranted. I have therefore provided, in paragraph 23, that such service may be given full pensionable credit.
I believe that this amending superannuation scheme will be generally welcomed by the teachers and I am satisfied that its provisions are just and reasonable. I have no hesitation, therefore, in recommending to the House that it be accepted.
