Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Am I right in assuming that the announcement will be made well in advance of September, when the next phase of these retirements kicks in? Some schools might not open next September because of the loss of middle management posts within them. Will the Minister clarify for the Dáil the savings to date that have resulted from the embargo? My understanding is that they amount to €11 million or €12 million. If it is this paltry sum of money in a Department that spends more than €8.5 billion annually, we can make a difference.

Will the Minister conclude his negotiations with the Department of Finance in the next few weeks in order that teacher unions might be in a position to revoke their directive of recent weeks? If fully implemented, that directive would cause havoc in our school system next year.

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