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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 2 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 2

Written Answers - Teachers' Pay.

Michael D'Arcy

Ceist:

98 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education and Science the circumstances of paid leave for teachers; if he has considered granting an entitlement to teachers to a paid sabbatical after a set number of years teaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12300/01]

Paid leave for teachers is a conditions of service issue which would normally be raised at the Teachers' Conciliation Council.

Subject to certain conditions teachers are paid while on approved leave, including sick leave, maternity leave, bereavement leave, force majeure leave, marriage leave, study leave and examination leave or while absent representing Ireland in international sporting events. Teachers may also be paid while on jury service, while attending court as a defendant in a case in which the school is directly involved or as a witness under subpoena or summons. Teachers who are members of public bodies, for example, county councils or statutory local bodies, are allowed paid leave up to a maximum of ten days in a school year to enable them attend meetings of those bodies.

My Department may agree to the secondment of a teacher from his or her post to another position within or outside the education sector. The teacher would continue to receive salary while on secondment. The secondment, if approved, would be subject to the prior agreement of the teacher's employer and to appropriate arrangements being made for the recoupment to my Department of the costs involved.

There is no provision for paid sabbatical leave for teachers. There are job-sharing and career break schemes in operation to facilitate teachers wishing to reduce their number of weekly teaching hours or to take a break from their teaching posts. In the case of job-sharing, teachers are required to teach for half of the standard weekly hours and receive half their full-time salary in respect of it. Teachers are not paid while on career break.
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