Vol. 567 No. 1
237 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Science if pensioned teachers who retired prior to the agreement in supervision, will become eligible for a corresponding increase in their pensions; if he will maintain the link between pension increases and all future increases in salaries and allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13467/03]
Payment to teachers for supervision and substitution duties was introduced with effect from 1 September 2001. Pensionability of the payment applies in the case of a teacher who, on foot of a written commitment, undertakes the duties on an ongoing basis to retirement under a 37 hour per annum contract. A teacher currently in service must give the written commitment by 1 September 2004 while future appointees must commit within one year from date of first appointment. Teachers who retire on pension between 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2004 and who have received payment for the delivery of supervision and substitution duties will have the payment, subject to averaging of the amount received as appropriate, reckoned for pension purposes. Pensionability in all cases is also subject to the teacher making the appropriate pension contributions on the payment.
As with other pension emoluments, for a teacher to benefit in pension they must have received monetary payment for supervision and substitution immediately prior to retirement. In this case the payment must have been received for the delivery of the duties on foot of an ongoing commitment. Teachers who retired prior to 1 September 2001 did not have payment for supervision and substitution in pay therefore it cannot be reckoned in their pensions.
This approach is consistent with long established pension parity policy. Where a pensionable payment is introduced from a specific date the benefits are confined to those retiring after that date provided they otherwise fulfil the requirements.
With regard to future pension increases for teachers, practice will be guided by the development of policy for the public service generally. The Commission on Public Service Pensions recommended that public service pensions should continue to increase in line with public service pay, although it recommended an alternative method of calculation.
The detailed implementation of the commission's recommendations is still under consideration by a joint management-union working party. The working party is expected to complete its report for Government shortly.
Pending any decision by Government, pension increases for teachers will continue to be based on existing pension increase practice.
