Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 January 2012
152 Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the changes announced by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 5 December 2011 regarding payment of qualification allowances will affect teachers who are currently studying but have not yet graduated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40971/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra165 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his reasons for establishing the maximum amount payable to new entrants in qualification allowances not to exceed the amount payable for an honours degree €4,426, when those with higher qualifications are not being financially recognised such as new entrants with a masters degree; the reason those with lower qualifications are financially recognised and those with higher qualifications are not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41094/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra182 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the decision to remove the masters degree allowance for teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41252/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra185 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the decision to cut the masters degree allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41266/11]
Amharc ar fhreagra231 Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will retain the qualification allowance for teachers who have already committed to the time and expense of undertaking a master’s degree and who have done so on the understanding that the traditional automatic allowance accorded to all previous masters graduates would be payable to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1003/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra246 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) qualifies for a masters qualification allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1227/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra255 Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that his Department gives recognition to an additional academic qualification secured by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1409/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 165, 182, 185, 231, 246 and 255 together.
The Government announced as part of Budget 2012 that, pending completion of the public service-wide review of allowances, changes to teacher qualification allowances were being made with immediate effect. These changes affect both existing teachers and new appointees in the future.
Circular 70/2011, which clarified the position on qualification allowances for teachers, schools and the public, was published on my Department's website on Friday, 16 December 2011. This Circular outlines the position in relation to existing teachers and those entering the profession on or after 5 December 2011.
Individual teachers who have been engaged in a public sector teaching post on or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the allowances they were in receipt of on that date. Existing teachers will not be paid any additional allowance where they acquire any further qualification on or after 5 December 2011.
The position of existing teachers who, on 5 December 2011, were undertaking courses will be considered in the context of the public service-wide review of allowances announced in Budget 2012 which is to be led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Teachers who enter public sector teaching on or after 5 December 2011 are eligible to receive combined qualification allowances up to a maximum value equivalent to that of the honours primary degree allowance. Where a teacher on first appointment is eligible for payment of an allowance below that equivalent to honours primary degree level he or she will, in common with existing teachers, not be paid any additional allowance should he or she acquire a further qualification.
This basis for this decision was the upward pressure on the cost of teacher allowances. Without any changes, the cost of qualification allowances are expected to result in an additional €150 million increase in the cost of teacher salaries by 2020.
To put this in context, the other reductions in education expenditure announced in Budget 2012 amount to €76 million. Without immediate action, this upward pressure would have cancelled out the savings made elsewhere in the education system and would bring about even harsher adjustments to schools and services.
