Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if consideration will be given to a teacher who retired in 2000 and who held a third class honours degree, to qualify them for the honours allowance in their pension. [11179/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A teacher who had obtained a third class honours degree may be paid an allowance in respect of that qualification as part of pay. Prior to 1 September 2001 the rate of payment in respect of this allowance was the same as the rate payable to the holder of a pass degree. On foot of an agreement at the Teachers Conciliation Council the rate of allowance payable in respect of a third class honours degree was changed to that which applies to a first or second class honours degree. The higher rate of payment only become effective in teachers' pay from 1 September 2001. In order to benefit in pension from the higher rate of the allowance, the teacher would have had to have received the higher rate in pay over the final three years of service. Since this teacher had retired prior to the effective date for payment, the higher rate of allowance would not apply in the calculation of his pension.