Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

Retirements at primary level since the introduction of the moratorium in March 2009 were 431 principals, 373 deputy principals, 201 assistant principals and 322 teachers with special duties posts of responsibility. The equivalent figures for the post-primary sector were approximately 157 principals, 128 deputy principals, 1,144 assistant principals and 290 teachers with special duties posts of responsibility. This is based on Department held data with a pro rata adjustment to include VEC schools.

Unlike other areas of the public service, teaching vacancies continue to be filled. Indeed, the number of teaching posts is increasing due to demographics and the allocation of the additional posts in the renewed programme for Government. When the moratorium was introduced, the Government exempted principal and deputy principal posts in all primary and post-primary schools and these continue to be replaced in the normal manner. The impact of the moratorium is, therefore, limited to the assistant principal and special duties allowances payable to teachers on promotion. Vacancies at assistant principal and special duties level arise due to retirements in these specific grades and typically also from the knock-on effect of filling principal and deputy principal posts. What the school loses is the capacity to make a promotion by awarding the extra pay allowance to another teacher. The position whereby around 50% of all teachers have promotion allowances is simply not sustainable.

Some further limited alleviation was announced in July for schools that are acutely affected by the impact of the moratorium at assistant principal level. The alleviation arrangements are set out in the published Department Circular 42/2010. It provides some delegated sanction for post-primary schools to fill assistant principal vacancies if they fall below certain minimum thresholds. The filling of these posts will be notified by the relevant post-primary schools to the Department over the coming weeks. At this stage, the Department has been notified in respect of the filling of 29 assistant principal posts. Applications for alleviation in respect of 41 programme co-ordinator posts and ten director of adult education posts have resulted in 21 of these posts being filled. Applications for alleviation have also been received from over 110 primary schools and these are currently being examined and prioritised and the schools will be advised of the outcome in the coming weeks.

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