Paul Murphy
Question:121. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to ensure that teachers in Dublin can afford accommodation near their jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31653/23]
View answerThursday, 29 June 2023
Questions (121)
Written answers
The Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services and will continue to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and to the taxpayer. However, the Government acknowledges that the housing issue and the current price pressures in society present particular challenges and are a source of concern for all public service workers, including staff in the education sector.
Housing remains a priority matter for Government, led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Housing for All strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system.
The Government has provided for further pay increases for public sector staff to October 2023 (totalling 8.5% to 9.5% increases over the entire agreement) including for over 100,000 staff in the school sector as well as retired staff.
In terms of teacher pay, by October, a teacher on point 1 of the scale will earn over €41,000 each year, an increase of more than €10,000 since 2012. A teacher on point 14 of the scale will earn at least €62,430, and those on the top point will earn at least €77,000.
In addition, as part of the agreement, there is a specific provision in relation to new entrant teacher pay that allows for the skipping of an incremental point. Taken with earlier similar measures, new entrant teachers will move up the salary scale more quickly.
Building Momentum also provided for a sectoral bargaining process to deal with outstanding claims. The teacher unions have decided to use this fund to settle certain claims including the restoration of a Professional Master of Education allowance for post primary new entrant teachers and increases in principal allowances in the primary sector.
Taken together these measures have provided for significant improvements in the pay of teachers in the last 2 years.