Aideen Hayden (Labour)

Some 53% of all civil servants are in the lower grades. One of the concerns that arose regarding the Education (Amendment) Bill was the re-employment of retired teachers and health professionals. We do not want to see them coming out one door and in another, particularly when there are large numbers of unemployed young teachers and health professionals. How do we protect against that?

Caution should be exercised with regard to the substantial cancellation of increments for teachers with additional qualifications because international research demonstrates that the implications for the teaching system generally of not incentivising teachers to obtain higher qualifications can be very damaging to the education sector. Would the Minister reconsider this move on the basis that reversing it would not be particularly costly?