Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2022
370. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education if she will clarify the reasoning a student who is studying for a Master's in education and providing substitution in a school cannot receive payment for the five days of work; the reason that this is cut to four days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62154/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the issue raised by the Deputy in relation to student teachers undertaking substitution in schools, it is expected that all teachers who are working in substitute capacity are registered with the Teaching Council which includes, amongst other things, having a teaching qualification.
Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act commenced on 1 November 2013 and took effect on 28 January 2014. From then, all teachers in recognised schools must be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid by the State. At the same time the Minister made regulations (further to amendment of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 in the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), to enable a school in urgent or unforeseen circumstances e.g. to avoid closure of a school or cancellation of classes, to employ, for up to five consecutive days at a time, a person who is not registered as a teacher with the Teaching Council.
It should also be noted that an additional Covid-19 protocol for exceptional substitute teaching and supervision was introduced for a limited time during the 2021/ 2022 Academic year. This allowed PME and B.Ed. year 3 and year 4 students to provide additional substitution teaching in schools, between 15th February 2022 and to 30th June 2022.
This measure was designed to ensure that schools remained open as fully as possible in light of the requirements which existed at that time, for social distancing as guided by available public health advice, and to provide substitution cover where teachers were unable to attend the school site for health reasons. However the measure was for the prescribed period only and is no longer in place.
Moreover, rates of pay are linked to registration with the Teaching Council for the sector where a teacher is undertaking the work. Where an individual is not registered with the Teaching Council for the sector where the work is being undertaken, a lower rate of payment is applied.
With specific regard to the person concerned, the relevant officials from the Payroll Division of my Department have examined the relevant payroll information and has made direct contact with the person to ensure that all pay-related information is up to date and to provide clarification with regard to payment. All further queries can be forwarded directly to the Payroll Division of my Department.
