I propose to take Questions Nos. 838 and 858 together.
My Department has implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments which was completed in September 2012 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Additional amendments to Teacher Terms and Conditions, including pay and allowances, can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the public service unions. A Sectoral Bargaining Fund is established under the new national pay agreement, Building Momentum, to deal with outstanding adjudications, commitments, recommendations, awards and claims within the Exchequer funding limit in place. Any review of the eligibility criteria for qualification allowances can occur only under that process and any such proposals would need to be considered in detail by my Department and the relevant unions.
With regard to the number of primary school teachers who are missing out on the honours primary degree allowance due to the fact that they attained a pass level in their primary degree but attained an honours level in their postgraduate diploma, my Department does not hold this information. However, my officials have confirmed the numbers of individuals on my Department’s Primary payroll who are in receipt of pass level allowances as follows:
- Higher Diploma in Education: 396 Primary teachers
- Primary Degree: 4,859 Primary teachers
- Master’s Degree: 79 Primary teachers
The overall cost of amending the eligibility criteria for pass qualification allowances is anticipated to be in the region of €17.9 million for Primary teachers and €13.9 million for Post-Primary teachers per annum in year one. These costs relate to teachers on my Department’s payroll and does not include costs associated with other payrolls such as the ETB payrolls.
