Jack Chambers
Ceist:77. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of efforts to achieve pay equality within the teaching profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28856/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 4 July 2018
Ceisteanna (77)
Freagraí scríofa
The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. I negotiated, together with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, 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.
Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for Public Expenditure and Reform] shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the cost of and a plan in dealing with pay equalisation for new entrants to the public service.”
The report laid before the Oireachtas on foot of this provision by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform 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.
The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government 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 discussions among the parties to the agreement on remaining salary scale issues in accordance with the commitment in the Agreement to consider the issue of new entrants’ pay. That process commenced with a first meeting on 12 October 2017. The three teacher unions attended that meeting. Further talks were held on the 27th of April with all public service unions in relation to new entrant pay. Engagement between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the trade unions has been ongoing and meetings are currently taking place as the parties continue to work through the various aspects of this issue.