Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I am very glad to have been able to sit down with the three teachers' unions and hammer out a deal with them which effectively restored three quarters of the gap for newly qualified teachers. The two scales are now identical at the later points, so we have made very substantial progress on that in these negotiations. Furthermore, we have secured for teachers earlier access to permanency, new promotion opportunities, flexibility in the use of Croke Park hours and flexibility as to whether teachers do substitution and supervision duties. Across a range of concerns for the trade unions, we negotiated a deal under the arrangements available under the Lansdowne Road agreement which, as members will be aware, two of the three unions have accepted. It was narrowly defeated by one union.

Regarding the continuing demands of the unions for progress in the pay and conditions of their members, a Public Service Pay Commission has now been established and is due to report very shortly. I know that both the INTO and the TUI have made very robust submissions to that process. When the commission reports, negotiations will commence between Government and trade unions on these issues. The issues involve not just the teaching sector, but many other sectors that have been affected by FEMPI. Members will have seen that the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, has pointed out that if FEMPI were to be unwound entirely, which is clearly an ambition of Government, it would cost €1.5 billion. That would absorb all the flexibility for not just one budget, but several budgets. In the pursuit of equality and fairness, I must also balance the needs of many others who have legitimate demands on the €450-odd million available to me. That balance must be struck. Every year, we have 15,000 additional pupils to cater for, we must provide for the places and the teachers for them and we must invest in areas such as disadvantage, special need, guidance counselling and so on, which I think most members would regard as having an equally high demand. My job is to try to balance these different demands. Of course, trade unions representing the teachers will continue to pursue these. We now have a framework within which the unions that have accepted what was possible under the Lansdowne Road agreement are continuing to pursue those, and the Government has said it has the ambition to unwind FEMPI over the period.

Regarding the other issue raised, at primary level, demographics last year accounted for about 440 additional teachers, which is roughly the figure per year. We have been providing teachers, between primary and secondary, at a rate of 2,260 this year, and 2,400 are to be provided this coming year. Yes, demographics account for a significant part of this provision, but not the majority, not even 50% of what we are providing. For example, at primary level, we are providing 580 special educational teachers this year. September coming the figure will be 580; last September it was 445. We also reduced the pupil-teacher ratio, PTR, last September for primary schools. There were 300 additional teachers. This year, we will provide 100 additional teachers in DEIS schools. A significant number of teaching posts come from demographics, but they must be found. We are finding money for much more than that for the additional needs where we are trying to provide additional services. This provision is balanced and shows that we are getting additional-----