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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 2

Written Answers. - Industrial Disputes.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

158 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science his proposals for dealing with the issue of supervision and substitution; and if he is prepared to enter negotiations with the teacher unions on this matter. [12247/02]

I met the three teacher unions on 28 February 2002. I indicated that the Government is not opposed to the pensionability of supervision payments. In that regard I offered to enter into a process at the end of the current school year to work out the details of an arrangement which would be consistent with the requirements for pensionability. I also indicated that the procedures provided by the conciliation and arbitration scheme for teachers should be used to deal with the issue of an appropriate payment rate for supervision. These procedures include independent arbitration where the parties cannot agree.

My approach was welcomed by the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the Teachers' Union of Ireland but rejected by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland. The ASTI central executive has since decided not to enter into any further negotiations on this matter pending the settlement of its pay claim.

At a meeting of the teachers' conciliation council on 12 March the TUI and INTO requested that further discussions take place on the issue of supervision and substitution. These discussions have commenced with the assistance of a facilitator. The ASTI has taken the view that they are not prepared to deal with this issue within the teachersWP extended char 4,28 conciliation and arbitration scheme which is the agreed industrial relations forum for processing these matters.

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