Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 773: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on allowing older and retired persons a role in the educational system, including teaching English as a second language, in exchange for pensions bonuses, where appropriate. [9514/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The recruitment and appointment of personnel to fill teaching posts, including language support posts, is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school. Agreed procedures with regard to the filling of posts (e.g. compliance with any redeployment panel arrangements in place, composition of selection boards, advertising etc) must be followed. It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and then only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted.

Teaching posts that arise are normally advertised by the relevant school Board of Management in the national press. It is a matter for persons wishing to be considered for appointment to submit their applications direct to the Board of Management.

If a teacher who has retired and is in receipt of pension subsequently resumes teaching in a temporary or permanent capacity, payment of pension is suspended for the duration of that appointment. Payment of pension will resume from the date after the appointment has been terminated. In some cases, subject to certain conditions, superannuation benefits may be revised to take into account the additional service.

The forum for dealing with claims for improvements in the conditions of service for teachers is the Teachers' Conciliation Council. Such claims are processed through the Teachers Conciliation Council in accordance with the terms of the revised Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers.