Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2018
178. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the preparation allowance is only paid to persons who held this entitlement prior to February 2012, that is, the school-based July provision (details supplied); his views on whether this decision is fair; his plans to review this anomaly; and the number of schools affected by same. [17459/18]
View answerArising from the Public Service Wide Review of Allowances and Premium Payments which commenced in 2012, the Preparation Allowance of €1401 previously paid under the school based July Programme was withdrawn in 2013 for anyone who did not hold it prior to 1 February 2012.
Any post holder who held the allowance before 1 February 2012 can continue to receive this allowance if they are still in the same job role and continue to carry out the duties in the school where the entitlement previously existed. If a post holder moves to a different school, the entitlement is lost and cannot be regained.
In 2017, some 67 post holders from a total of 219 schools were eligible to receive this allowance. There are no plans to revisit the withdrawal of this allowance.
The duties formerly associated with the Preparation Allowance, which mirror those assigned to role of Overseer, have been subsumed into that role, which is a fully remunerated post under the terms of the programme.
