Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil does want to see equality in the pay scales. The situation as it stands is wrong and must be unwound. The changes to bring about that equality must be delivered.

I welcome what the Minister has initiated this week in terms of the allowances. I think this was a key demand of the young teachers in particular. The Minister is meeting the TUI and the INTO about that, which I welcome. I want the Minister to explain to me the timescale for that is and when it will happen. I hope it is not just a smokescreen. Deputy Calleary and I, along with many Fianna Fáil colleagues, have been pushing the Government hard on this because we know it is wrong and want to see it changed. However, we are also aware of the financial situation of the State and we want to protect that. I hope there is some sort of deadline for this and that it is a real process. I hope it is not just being done to annoy another trade union. That may well be the result but I hope it is not the intention. I hope the intention is just to deal with that issue and get those allowances restored. The precedent is there. I have spoken about this and have called on the Minister for Education and Skills in this House to be an advocate for teachers, including the young teachers on those unequal pay scales. Will the Minister explain a bit more about how this process will work and tell us what the end point and costs are? They are not hugely substantial in terms of the State's finances.

We want that equality and we want to see FEMPI unwound but we want it done in an orderly process that does not give a huge and undeserved benefit to higher paid public servants. The Ceann Comhairle knows that if we simply repealed it tomorrow, we would put a huge and unsustainable financial burden on the State and make a lot of very highly paid people even more highly paid, and that is wrong. Let us think about how we describe these things. Targeting it at those who need it most is the best way to do it.

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