Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are developments on plans to bring teachers' salaries into line regardless of whether they achieved first, second or third class honours in their Bachelor of Arts degrees; and if there will be a limit on when the degree was awarded for teachers to benefit. [7596/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The issue raised by the Deputy was recently the subject of a recent claim from the Teachers Union of Ireland, which was discussed at the Teachers Conciliation Council. The Claim sought to have a pass degree, together with 12 years satisfactory teaching experience equated to an honours degree for the purpose of receiving the degree allowance. Currently, Teachers receive an allowance of €1,846 for a pass degree and €4,928 for an honours degree. The claim from the Teacher Unions was not conceded on the grounds that teaching experience gained by a teacher was already recognised by the incremental salary scale, and that the degree allowance aims to recognise academic performance by teachers.

A further issue is currently being examined by the Teachers Conciliation Council regarding the award of a third class honours degree by the University of Limerick. As these discussions are under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further until the matter has been finalised.