Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The joint committee has had an opportunity to adjudicate on the three petitions before it today. We will discuss the decisions we have made.

Petition No. 9/13 is from Mr. Hugh Rance on the State's failure to provide an independent process of appeal against a vocational education committee's refusal to provide qualified pay or increments for prior approved teaching service in the EU. The petitioner asked the joint committee to refer his case to the Ombudsman and, subject to his report and the advice of the Attorney General, to recommend to the Minister for Education and Skills that an independent process of appeal must be provided for teachers who are employees of VECs, now education and training boards, when refused qualified pay or incremental credit for prior approved teaching service in the EU.

The petitioner is also asking the committee to recommend that a departmental circular be issued to all VECs, now ETBs, clarifying their statutory obligation as emanations of the State to abide by and implement Regulation No. EU 492/2011 on the free movement of workers in the EU in all administrative decisions in relation to EU citizens.