Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a qualification allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7809/12]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if those who have commenced programmes prior to the budget announcement that teachers will no longer receive an allowance for a master's qualification should benefit from a dispensation, whereby their expectations in relation to a master's allowance will be honoured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8148/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 242 together.

Under Circular 70/2011 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 entitled to be 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.

Circular 3/2012 issued on 31 January 2012 provides that, pending the outcome of a review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, allowances are not payable to new beneficiaries; ie those who become eligible for receipt of the allowance in question on or after 1 February 2012. Examples of such allowances include any form of qualification allowance or the supervision and substitution payment paid to teachers, and the secretary to the Board of Management allowance paid to school principals. The only exceptions to this prohibition are principal and deputy principal allowances.

I am not in a position to comment on the position of existing teachers who, on 5 December 2011, were undertaking courses until the outcome of the of the public service-wide review of allowances is known.