Written Answers Nos. 126-145
126. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) will receive a college place as part of a course; the reason for the delay in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40181/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is an operational matter for SOLAS, who manage this apprenticeship programme. I have asked SOLAS to contact the Deputy directly in relation to the matter.
127. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project for a school (details supplied); the position on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40141/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme.
In the context of progressing the building project, my Department has undertaken a site visit to the school and the schedule of accommodation and project brief is currently being devised. My Department will liaise directly with the school authority on completion of this process.
128. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the level of overtime being worked by support staff in the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, CDETB; his plans to recruit staff to minimise the overtime being worked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40167/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from the Deputy that the support staff referred to are non-teaching staff based in colleges of further education employed in CDETB.
The position is that ETBs receives an administration & maintenance staffing allocation from my Department. The way in which such staffing is allocated to individual ETB schools, colleges and other activities within the CDETB is entirely a matter for that ETB.
ETBs are afforded considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to meet the needs of individual schemes and the way in which the allocation is distributed among schools and colleges and other activities is a matter for each ETB in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.
Requests for additional non-teaching staffing supports are dealt with on a case by case basis and are decided upon in accordance with the criteria set down in deciding on supports for ETB schools, colleges and other activities.
In many cases, it has not always been possible to sanction staff to ETBs where the staff sought is outside the criteria laid down by my Department. In deciding on these criteria, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures.
129. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a school extension (details supplied) will commence construction; if this will be expedited in view of the circumstances in the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40172/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured.
The Stage 2(b) submission has been reviewed by the Department and comments were issued to the school and its Design Team. My Department requested confirmations from the Design Team that it carries out one final review of all of its tender documentation to ensure compliance with DoES requirements. The Design Team has been requested to submit written confirmation from each Design Team member including the PSDP that they have completed this review and are satisfied that the Tender Documents are complete, correct and in compliance with DoES and Building Control (Amendment) Regulations (BC(A)R) tender documentation requirements. A response is awaited.
In order to expedite this project, the Department, on 17th September 2018, authorised the school and its design team to commence the pre-qualification process to select a shortlist of contractors for this project. Pre-qualification normally takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete.
When the pre-qualification process is complete and the requested confirmations have been received, the Department will be in contact with the Board of Management with a view to progressing the project to tender stage.
In March 2018, my Department issued a letter to the school and its Design Team outlining the projected timeframe for the progression of this project to tender and construction stage and the steps involved.
130. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if provisions will be made in budget 2019 to address pay inequality in teaching by ensuring that the lower salaries of teachers who qualified post-2011 are rectified. [40173/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
As a result of these changes, from 1 October 2018 the starting salary of a teacher will be €36,318, 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.
On Monday 24th September, I welcomed, together with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the outcome of discussions between public service employers and the public services committee of ICTU in respect of new entrant pay.
This agreement will benefit 16,000 teachers and nearly 5,000 SNAs within the education sector. The deal provides for a series of incremental jumps for new entrants at points 4 and 8 of their scale.
For example, a teacher hired in September 2011 would see their salary increase from €45,200 in September 2018 to €53,062 in September 2020 under the PSSA agreement and the recent outcome of the new entrant pay talks.
131. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an award that was issued to national school principals in 2009 will issue immediately; and if the findings of the recent review by the PSSA will be published. [40174/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the second report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body (issued in December 2007), the Body recommended pay increases for 15 grades, including changes to the allowance payable to Principals of primary schools and of small post-primary schools.
This measure was not implemented due to the State’s worsening financial circumstances. Implementation of recommendations of the Benchmarking Body are a public service wide issue and as such are a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In line with current Government policy, there are no plans to implement the recommendations set out in the second report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body as they apply to any public servant.
The Government has agreed that Principal allowances, which were reduced under the FEMPI legislation, will be restored to their previous levels in 2020.
The public service agreements including the PSSA 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.
As a result of these changes, from 1 October 2018 the starting salary of a teacher will be €36,318, and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692.
On Monday 24th September, I welcomed, together with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the outcome of discussions between public service employers and the public services committee of ICTU in respect of new entrant pay.
This agreement will benefit 16,000 teachers including principals and nearly 5,000 SNAs within the education sector. The deal provides for a series of incremental jumps for new entrants at points 4 and 8 of their scale.
132. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce one release day per week for teaching principals in order to carry out administrative work. [40175/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraBuilding on measures in previous budgets to enhance school leadership, Budget 2018 made €0.4 million available to fund almost 4600 additional release days for teaching principals in primary schools. This additional funding has provided an increase in the number of release days available to teaching principals in the 2018/19 school year to 17, 23 or 29 days depending on the size of the school.
I recently announced an extension to the arrangements for schools with teaching principals to cluster their release days into full-time posts, with one teacher covering the release days of all the schools in the cluster. Up to 50 principal release cluster posts will be put in place for the current school year. This measure will assist teaching principals to more effectively plan their release days for the benefit of the school.
Enabling teaching principals to have one release day per week would cost approximately €12 million per annum. Any additional increase in the number of release days will be considered as part of the next annual budgetary process alongside the many other demands from the education sector.
133. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the restoration of posts of responsibility in a greater number of larger primary schools will be considered. [40176/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2017 allowed for the commencement of restoration of middle management posts as part of an agreed distributed leadership model and meant lifting the rigidity of the longstanding moratorium on these posts at primary and post-primary levels. This recognises the key role school leadership has in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive and accountable.
€2.75m was allocated in Budget 2017 to restore middle management positions i.e. the equivalent of approximately 1,300 middle management posts (Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II) at both Primary and Post-Primary (2,600 in total).
The lifting of the moratorium is an initial phase in the restoration of middle management posts and any future improvements to the number of posts allocated will be dependent on budgetary demands.
134. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to reduce primary school class sizes further and bring them into line with the European average. [40177/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continued to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.
Budget 2018 provided for an additional 1280 teaching posts in the 2018/19 school year. This includes a one point improvement in the staffing schedule in primary schools which brings the position to the most favourable ever seen at primary level.
The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratios show an improved ratio of teachers to students from 16:1 to 15.3:1 at primary level when comparing the 2015/16 school year to the 2017/18 school year. Average class sizes at primary level improved from 24.9 to 24.5 in the same period.
Each 1 point adjustment to the primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €16.5m per annum. Any additional improvement would have to be considered as part of the next annual budgetary process, alongside the many other demands from the education sector.
135. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if regional teaching panels will be established in order to assist in covering substitutable days. [40178/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEarlier this year I established the Teacher Supply Steering Group, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. The Group is considering the issues that relate to teacher supply, including: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support; data/research requirements; policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply; and promotion of the teaching profession.
The Steering Group is supported by a number of working groups which are looking in more detail at the issues under these broad headings. The matter of supply panels to cover substitute vacancies is part of that consideration. In addition, officials of my Department are engaging directly with the teacher unions. As part of that engagement, the supply panel issue was the subject of an initial discussion with INTO and it is intended to have a follow up meeting on the matter with the union in the near future.
136. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the consideration he has given to the costings included in an organisation's (details supplied) pre-budget 2019 submissions; and his views on whether capitation grants need to be increased in line with rising day-to-day costs such as inflated insurance premiums. [40179/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the pre-Budget 2019 submission referred to by the Deputy and can confirm that while it would cost approximately €17.6 million to restore capitation to pre-2011 levels for Primary Schools, the overall cost of restoring capitation funding for all sectors is circa €35.6 million.
However, I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year.
In the last two budgets, I made provision for 6,000 extra teachers and 3,000 extra SNAs and over 3,000 new middle management posts. These resources were allocated to improve the learning experience right across the sector, with a particular focus on children with special needs.
Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade.
In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.
Improvements have been made for the restoration of grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
Responsibility for procurement of insurance and payment of same rests with Boards of Management in respect of schools operated by them. If a particular school has a query in relation to the cost of insurance it should raise this directly with its insurance provider. Boards of Management should take a proactive approach when it comes to sourcing insurance in order to ensure best value is obtained and to ensure compliance with public procurement procedures. The Schools Procurement Unit, which has a national remit, is available to advise and assist schools in relation to procurement matters.
137. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil i gceist duine a ainmniú ar an gComhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta a dhéanfadh ionadaíocht d’earnáil an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge agus Gaeltachta; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [40184/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá tús curtha leis an bpróiseas chun comhaltaí de chuid Chomhairle Náisiúnta um oideachas Speisialta nua a cheapadh/a athcheapadh do 2019 go 2022.
Beidh Cathaoirleach agus 12 ghnáthchomhalta ar an gComhairle Náisiúnta um oideachas Speisialta, 6 fear ar a laghad agus 6 mban ar a laghad.
Ceapfar comhaltaí Chomhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta faoi Alt 21 d'Acht EPSEN (An tAcht do Dhaoine a bhfuil Riachtanais Speisialta Oideachais Acu), 2004 agus faoi na Treoirlínte maidir le Ceapachán do Bhoird Stáit 2014.
Éilítear le hAcht EPSEN go mbeidh spéis nó eolas ar leith ag gach Ball den Chomhairle a bhaineann le hoideachas leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu.
Déantar foráil le hAlt 21 d’Acht EPSEN go gceapfaidh an tAire na daoine a leanas:
- Comhalta amháin arna ainmniú ag an Aire Sláinte,
- Beirt chomhaltaí arna n-ainmniú ag an Údarás Náisiúnta Míchumais agus
- Tar éis dul i gcomhairle le páirtithe leasmhara ábhartha ar nós Eagraíochtaí Aitheanta Bainistíochta Scoile, Ceardchumainn Aitheanta agus Cumainn na mBall Foirne a dhéanann ionadaíocht do mhúinteoirí agus do Chumainn Náisiúnta Tuismitheoirí, féadfaidh an tAire suas le ceathrar Ball a cheapadh má mheasann sé gur cuí é sin a dhéanamh.
Soláthraíonn an tAcht freisin go ndéanfaidh an tAire seisear comhaltaí de Chomhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta a cheapadh go díreach, i gcomhréir leis na Treoirlínte maidir le Ceapachán do Bhoird Stáit 2014 . De ghnáth, ceanglaítear sna treoirlínte gur cheart baill na mBord Stáit a roghnú faoi phróiseas ceapacháin faoin tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí, faoi réir eisceachtaí atá leagtha amach faoi Alt 9 de na Treoirlínte.
Is iad a leanas na heisceachtaí atá ábhartha don phróiseas ceapacháin reatha:
- leagtar síos sa reachtaíocht meicníocht shonrach chun folúntais a líonadh ar Bhord Stáit. (sa chás seo Alt 21 de EPSEN)
- tá an tAire ag ceapadh oifigeach óna Roinn.
- féadfar comhaltaí a athcheapadh don dara téarma i gcás go mbíonn an tAire sásta tar éis dó dul i gcomhairle leis an gCathaoirleach gur léirigh an comhalta Boird sin a (h)éifeachtúlacht agus a rannchuidiú mar bhall de Bhord an Stáit lena ndearbhaítear a (h)athcheapadh.
Tugadh cuireadh do na Páirithe Leasmhara ábhartha uile, lena n-áirítear ionadaithe ó earnáil an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge agus Gaeltachta, beirt ainmnithe (bean amháin agus fear amháin) a ainmniú de réir cheanglais Alt 21 d'Acht EPSEN.
Tosóidh próiseas go gairid le roinnt ainmnithe a roghnú faoin tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí. Tá sé oscailte do dhaoine aonair iarratas a dhéanamh trí phróiseas na Seirbhíse um Cheapacháin Phoiblí, más mian leo go ndéanfaí iad a mheas mar ainmniúchán agus le ceapadh ar an gComhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta.
Ar chríochnú an phróisis chun ainmnithe a roghnú, ceapfaidh mé Comhairle Náisiúnta um oideachas Speisialta nua le haghaidh mhí Eanáir 2019.
138. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that school secretaries have greater job security in addition to sick pay and pension entitlements. [40205/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services. Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs. Where a school uses the capitation grant funding to employ a secretary, such staff are employees of individual schools. Though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department and not via grant funding, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant scheme. My Department has no plans to develop an alternative scheme for schools to employ secretaries separate to the current system of capitation grant assistance.
In terms of the latest negotiations that have taken place with regard to school secretaries; in 2015 my Department engaged with the Union side on negotiations in relation to the pay of school secretaries (and caretakers) who are employed using grant funding, and agreed to enter an arbitration process on that issue. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for school secretaries (and caretakers) comprehended by the terms of the arbitration process and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 for such staff be phased in over the period 2016 to 2019. Grant funding used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff is also being improved on a phased basis between 2016 and 2019 following the arbitration process. These increases are in order to enable schools implement the arbitration outcome for grant funded secretaries (and caretakers).
In December 2017, my Department published circular letter 0078/2017 for primary schools and circular letter 0079/2017 for voluntary secondary schools, setting out the application of the third phase increases of the Arbitrator’s recommendations. The circulars are available at:
Circular 0078/2017: https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0078_2017.pdf
Circular 0079/2017: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0079_2017.pdf.
The increases recommended by the Arbitrator are binding and must be applied by all schools who employ staff to whom the Arbitrator's recommendation applies.
139. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided for a person (details supplied). [40210/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child referred to by the Deputy commenced on a school transport service last week.
140. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to secure a funding increase on the amount allocated (details supplied) for adult literacy provision in 2016 in advance of budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40211/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOverall funding for further education and training (FET) will be determined through the estimates process for Budget 2019. It should be noted that funding for FET is allocated to SOLAS, who then allocate to the education and training boards (ETBs) through a strategic planning process. There is some discretion for SOLAS and the ETBs in relation to how funding is allocated across all of the FET programmes, including adult literacy.
Historically there has been insufficient focus on the basic skills of people who are in employment. I recently launched a new policy framework for employee development, 'Supporting Working Lives and Enterprise Growth in Ireland'. This sets a target of having over 40,000 workers, whose skills level is below Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, engaged in state supported skills development by 2021. This will supplement the numbers already being supported through our adult literacy programmes.
141. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills when provisions will be put in place to ensure secretaries in schools are given a pay deal that will include a proper wage, pension rights and sick pay. [40213/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra142. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason secretaries are not employed by his Department but by the individual board of management of each school. [40214/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra143. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason school secretaries are being paid from the schools' ancillary grants in view of the fact that the situation could arise that two secretaries in the same town could be paid considerably different amounts depending on the amount that school can afford to pay. [40215/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, together.
The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services. Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs. Where a school uses the capitation grant funding to employ a secretary, such staff are employees of individual schools. Though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department and not via grant funding, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant scheme. My Department has no plans to develop an alternative scheme for schools to employ secretaries separate to the current system of capitation grant assistance.
In terms of the latest negotiations that have taken place with regard to the pay of capitation grant-funded school secretaries; in 2015 my Department engaged with the Union side on negotiations in relation to the pay of school secretaries (and caretakers) who are employed using grant funding, and agreed to enter an arbitration process on that issue. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for school secretaries (and caretakers) comprehended by the terms of the arbitration process and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 for such staff be phased in over the period 2016 to 2019. Grant funding used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff is also being improved on a phased basis between 2016 and 2019 following the arbitration process. These increases are in order to enable schools implement the arbitration outcome for grant funded secretaries (and caretakers).
In December 2017, my Department published circular letter 0078/2017 for primary schools and circular letter 0079/2017 for voluntary secondary schools, setting out the application of the third phase increases of the Arbitrator’s recommendations. The circulars are available at:
Circular 0078/2017: https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0078_2017.pdf
Circular 0079/2017: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0079_2017.pdf
The increases recommended by the Arbitrator are binding and must be applied by all schools who employ staff to whom the Arbitrator's recommendation applies.
144. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the State Examinations Commission had to hire non-teachers in 2018 to mark leaving certificate exam papers; if he is satisfied that there has been no deterioration in the quality of the marking of these papers; the number of appeals submitted in 2018 following the checking of the papers by exam students; the number of appeals submitted in each of the past three years; the number of successful appeals in the past three years; the types of errors discovered following successful rechecks; if more than one person is involved in the initial marking of the exam papers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40221/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
145. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is introducing to end the pay inequality between newly qualified teachers and more experienced teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40230/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
As a result of these changes, from 1 October 2018 the starting salary of a teacher will be €36,318, 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.
On Monday 24th September, I welcomed, together with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the outcome of discussions between public service employers and the public services committee of ICTU in respect of new entrant pay.
This agreement will benefit 16,000 teachers and nearly 5,000 SNAs within the education sector. The deal provides for a series of incremental jumps for new entrants at points 4 and 8 of their scale.
For example, a teacher hired in September 2011 would see their salary increase from €45,200 in September 2018 to €53,062 in September 2020 under the PSSA agreement and the recent outcome of the new entrant pay talks.
