Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am answering on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. I will read her script and then address some of the points not covered in it.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. With regard to the introduction of a special rate of pay for teachers in rent pressure zones, pay and workplace reform measures for public servants have been governed by a framework of public service pay agreements for a number of years, with the new public service agreement in place until June 2026. The value of public pay deals to the Government and the taxpayer is in ensuring that pay costs are managed in a sustainable and orderly way and in a climate of industrial peace. By and large, public pay agreements have delivered on these objectives over the past 12 years. The public service agreement has allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants and new entrant pay has been gradually restored over the years. The previous agreement, Building Momentum, provided for increases of 8.5% to 9.5% over the entire agreement, with lower paid workers receiving higher percentage increases.

The public service agreement provides for further baseline increases of 9.25% for more than 100,000 staff in the school sector as well as retired staff. On teacher pay specifically, these increases will increase the pay of a teacher on the top point to approximately €85,000 per annum. The starting pay for a teacher will be around €46,000 per annum, almost €20,000 higher than the 2011 rates. There have been other recent measures under Building Momentum to increase pay and allow new entrant teachers move up the pay scale more quickly.

The Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services and will continue to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and the taxpayer. However, it acknowledges that the cost of renting and the current price pressures in society present particular challenges and are a source of concern for all public services, including staff in the education sector. I will certainly bring the Senator's comment on the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association back to the Minister. When it comes to contract work and trying to secure loans, be they for mortgages or car loans, contract workers must show they have permanency of employment. If they are seeking to purchase or engage in a loan, are coming to the final year of their contract and cannot show permanency from there out, they cannot secure a mortgage or car loan. One of the basic criteria insisted upon by the Central Bank is for people to demonstrate they are in permanent employment.People who are on a contract placement are excluded from entering the housing market or finding their own affordable solutions. It can also apply to a loan for a car to allow them to travel to their place of work. I will certainly bring that back to the Minister, Deputy Foley.

Another conversation which is not in my script but which I have seen work very successfully has been the so-called London rate. The Senator spoke about those living in the city or in the commuter belt, where rents are higher and it is far more expensive for our public servants. In my area of responsibility, that includes people working in the disability field, people such as healthcare assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. In certain CDNTs we have failed to recruit many of those professionals because of the cost of securing a property. It is no different in teaching. Perhaps other Departments such as the Department of public expenditure could look at the possibility of introducing a Dublin rate.