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Teachers' Remuneration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018

Tuesday, 17 April 2018

Ceisteanna (326, 340, 348)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

326. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to regularise the situation of teachers with regard to equal pay for equal work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14991/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Ceist:

340. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which the report on the costings of pay equality and the timeframe to achieve it as called for in an amendment to section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15163/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

348. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeframe to end pay inequality for teachers in view of the fact the issue has been ongoing for over seven years (details supplied); the timeframe to act on the issue of pay inequality in view of the imminent conclusion of the pay review; his plans to resolve the issue of pay inequality; and the justification of a position that is contrary to the principle of equal pay for equal work. [15285/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 326, 340 and 348 together.

The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, negotiated a 15-22% pay increase for new teachers. The agreements to date have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver convergence of the pay scales at later points in the scale.

As a result of these changes, the current starting salary of a new teacher is €35,958 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692.

To have gone further than the pay increases that have been negotiated for 2018 would mean I would have had less money available to hire over 1,000 extra SNAs and over 1,000 extra teachers.

Differential pay scales were introduced by the then Government in 2010. It must be borne in mind that the pay reduction for post-2011 entrants applied to all public servants and not just teachers, and that any restoration of these measures in respect of teachers would be expected to be applied elsewhere across the public service.

In accordance with the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform recently laid before the Oireachtas a report on the matter of the pay of new entrants to the public service. The report assesses the cost of a further change which would provide a two scale point adjustment to new entrants recruited since 2011. The total cost of such an adjustment across the public sector is of the order of €200 million, of which Education accounts for €83 million. The report also acknowledges that during the financial crisis there were policy changes which affected remuneration in different occupations across the public sector (including education). Addressing any issues arising from changes which are not specifically detailed in the report would give rise to additional costs over and above the foregoing figures.

Any further negotiation on new entrant pay is a cross sectorial issue, not just an issue for the education sector. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform’s report will inform discussion on remaining salary scale issues with the parties to the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 in accordance with the commitment in the Agreement to consider the issue of newly qualified pay. That process commenced with a first meeting on 12 October 2017.  The three teacher unions attended that first meeting. The Minister recently announced that further talks will begin on 27th April with all public service unions in relation to new entrant pay.

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