Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Looking back at these things, we are trying to find greater flexibility in the workplace and greater cost savings. Some 80% of the education budget is locked into pay and we cannot consider it in the cuts we are trying to make. Is this not a concession the Department could make, potentially saving €100 million? Before 2002, until ten years ago, it was part of the responsibilities of teachers and they were not paid in addition. The Department could say that it is going to look at it again because it is covered as part of salary and other allowances in the system. Most teachers receive some form of an allowance according to the matrix provided in Appendix B. The Department could explain that this is the situation we are in and that we must go back to the way things were ten years ago. The Department seems to have decided not to pursue that.