Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Life is difficult and stressful for all of us. It is difficult to keep up with all of the correspondence we receive, the bills we have to pay, the forms we have to fill in and cope with all of the stresses, strains and complications in getting through the week. I am sure the Minister knows all about this, as I do, and it is no different for teachers. As the Minister said, people might change addresses, have family crises, be away for a few weeks or there could be an illness in the family. There could be all sorts of reason somebody who generally keeps up his or her payments and ensures he or she is on the register might, even once in a lifetime, let his or her registration lapse by failing to make payment. It seems rough that a person who has been working away, believing he or she will be paid, will discover that he or she is not going to be paid, forfeit a few thousand euro and have to fight to recover a salary for work he or she has done. I do not see why there is a problem in going the extra mile by including in the legislation a requirement that if somebody has been suspended from the register and consequently will not be paid, he or she would be told immediately, giving him or her the opportunity to rectify the matter at the earliest opportunity. This is reasonable and teachers have raised the matter with me. As I mentioned, although I do not know the details, there are cases in which people have had to go to rights commissioners to contest the issue and fight to receive money owed to them. The amendment is fair and reasonable and I do not see why the Minister cannot include it in the Bill.

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