Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the estimated number of retired teachers and principals who are in receipt of a pension from his Department but who are currently working on either a fixed term or temporary contract for his Department or other agencies under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26843/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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On 24 June 2009 there were 35 primary school principals, 2 secondary school principals, 40 primary school teachers and 15 secondary school teachers who had previously been awarded pensions by my Department employed under a fixed term or temporary teaching contract in primary, secondary and community schools. In the main these teachers were employed in a regular part-time capacity (ie fixed-term), many as resource teachers, teaching a small number of hours each week. These figures do not include casual substitute teachers who may be employed on a daily or hourly basis. Where a person's pension and pay on returning to teach exceed their final retiring salary a reduction in pension is applied in accordance with normal public service abatement arrangements.

Figures for retired teachers, re-employed in other agencies under my Department's remit, are not readily available. I spoke at the annual conference of AMCSS about the desirability of engaging unemployed teachers where at all possible in relation to the filling of casual or fixed-term vacancies. This is something I would encourage school management generally to consider.