Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I would like to focus on the real problem that exists at present, rather than the payroll system that will be introduced in the 2008-09 school year. I understand that up to 1,000 part-time teachers have not been paid the correct amounts for their work over the past seven years. Will the Minister give the House an indication of the total financial liability the Department of Education and Science will face when the review has been completed? Will he confirm that arrears of €100,000 — €60,000 in one case and €40,000 in the other — had to be repaid to two teachers in the cases, taken at rights commissioner level, which were brought to the Minister's attention in a brief when he took over as Minister for Education and Science. Will he also confirm the total number of cases taken by part-time teachers which are before rights commissioners or the courts at present? I presume he will face a huge financial bill as a result of the incompetence of the Department of Education and Science in enforcing this legislation.

When the Minister read the departmental brief on this matter when he took office, what was his view? What was his reaction when he read the part of the brief which suggested that the Department's failure to pay the appropriate rate of salary to part-time teachers could lead to it being found to have acted unlawfully? This problem has emerged seven years after the enactment of legislation that was supposed to give part-time workers the same rights as permanent workers.

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