Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

261 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason part time and substitute teachers who were involved in voluntary supervision were not given the once off payment as a token gesture for their efforts similar to other teachers; the number of part-time and substitute teachers who were excluded from this payment; and the amount it will cost to issue them with the once off payment. [16489/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The arrangements under which the payments in question were made, the level of payment involved and the range of teachers covered by the arrangements were the subject of an agreement with the teacher unions in respect of supervision and substitution work carried out at the request of the school authorities on a voluntary basis in the course of the 2001/2002 school year.

Details are not available of the number of part-time or substitute teachers who were involved in supervision and substitution work during the period in question or the level of payments which would have been involved had they been covered by the agreement referred to.

The supervision and substitution scheme provides that permanent, temporary and part-time teachers employed in schools may volunteer at the commencement of the school year for supervision and substitution duties over the course of the year. This provision has effect from the 2002/2003 school year onwards.