Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 497: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32568/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The teacher referred to by the Deputy is currently on secondment approved by her Board of Management. The scheme of secondment is designed to facilitate the temporary release of a permanent teacher from his/her teaching post and the procedures for secondment arrangements are set out in Department Circular 11/02.

Under these arrangements a Board of Management, in framing a policy position on secondments is required to ensure that the welfare and educational needs of pupils take precedence over all considerations. The Board of Management must ensure a fully qualified temporary replacement teacher can be obtained to replace the teacher on secondment and retains the right to terminate the secondment should it encounter difficulties in filling the vacant teaching post. The replacement teacher will be paid on my Department's payroll as outlined in Primary Circular 0032/2007.

The Deputy has indicated in the details supplied that the qualified applicant for the post of replacement teacher is on career break. If this is the situation I would like to draw the Deputy's attention to Primary Circular 10/03, Career Breaks for Primary Teachers. Section 8.1 of this circular states, "a teacher on career break should not normally engage in any type of primary teaching. In exceptional circumstances, however, a teacher on career break may be employed in a short term temporary, substitute or part time capacity. It should be noted that teachers on career break who take up a teaching post in a temporary capacity are paid at the unqualified rate of pay".

It is of course open to any teacher on career break to resign his/her post to take up another teaching position.

All of the circulars to which I have referred are available on my Department's website.