Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council, TCC. This council comprises representatives of teachers, school management and the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform and Education. The council is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission. The TCC meets at least every two months and the agenda is agreed between the Department and the teacher unions. The award criteria for incremental credit are laid out in the Department’s circulars for primary teachers and post-primary teachers. These circulars provide for the awarding of incremental credit for both teaching service and relevant non-teaching service that has taken place abroad.

Under the auspices of the TCC, a subcommittee has been set up to deal with incremental credit issues. Officials from my Department are considering a submission that the teachers’ unions lodged at the TCC subcommittee regarding the rules relating to incremental credit. An update on the progress of this work is provided at each TCC meeting. On conclusion of these negotiations at the TCC, the Department plans to replace existing circulars with a consolidated circular that will be applicable to both primary and post-primary teachers.

The TCC subcommittee meets four times per year and is currently considering many items including the removal of the seven-year cap on incremental credit for teaching service outside of the EU and the alignment of primary and post-primary rules relating to service in private schools outside the EU. Work is ongoing on this submission and the next subcommittee meeting is scheduled for January 2023.

As for measures to attract teachers returning to the Irish education system, I fully appreciate that, as the Deputy noted, this issue is a consideration for many of them. Nevertheless, it is a significant step forward that we have the subcommittee and the issue of incremental credit is being adjudicated on, discussed and engaged with by it

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