Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I should explain that the way in which teachers are paid includes an increment, so a teacher with ten years experience could be on €45,000 to €50,000 compared to a teacher who was recruited in 2015, who would be on €37,700. Built into the structure, people are not paid the same and it depends on the period in which the person was recruited.

What we have done in the negotiations is that three quarters of the lifetime gap that was imposed in that stringent period has been closed by the combination of measures we have put in place, both under Haddington Road and in the recent negotiations I have had with the TUI and INTO. We have also addressed the issue the Deputy raised in regard to precarious positions and we have sought to make it easier for young teachers to get permanency.

The issue of where we go from here is one for the wider public service. We have to enter negotiations for a successor to this agreement and, no doubt, the issue of new entrant pay will be on the table not just for teachers, but for all public servants. It is in that context that we will look at the steps beyond what we have already agreed.

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