Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to change the rules regarding the employment of substitute and temporary teachers and lecturers in primary, secondary and tertiary education in order that persons who are in receipt of pensions from the State from teaching will not be eligible for such positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11343/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department has issued a number of directives to schools to ask them to prioritise newly qualified teachers over retired teachers when considering applications for teaching and substitute work. Where retired teachers return to teach on a full-time basis or on certain part-time contracts, their pension is abated. To further reduce the impact of retired teachers returning to teach, I have directed my officials to examine whether and how there should be pension consequences for retirees returning to the classroom for shorter periods.

The scale of this issue should be put in context, however. For example, in a two month sample period in the last school year, retired teachers accounted for less than 8% of the number of substitute days worked in primary schools. Therefore, while it remains an issue, its effects are limited to a relatively small number of days worked.

Under the terms of the Employment Control Framework for the Higher Education Sector, third level institutions have been instructed to give priority when filling posts to the employment of new or recently qualified staff over those who are retired, wherever possible. Re-employment of retired staff should only occur in very limited exceptional circumstances and in these cases the salaries offered may not exceed 20% of the full-time salary an individual was in receipt of at the time of their retirement, adjusted to reflect the application of Government pay policy in the period since their date of retirement. Any such proposed arrangements should be put in advance to the Higher Education Authority.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of retired teachers, in receipt of pensions from the State employed at present in a temporary or substitute capacity in primary, secondary and tertiary education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11344/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Teachers employed in primary, secondary and community/comprehensive schools are paid on payrolls operated by my Department. There were one hundred and eighty six retired primary teachers in receipt of a pension paid on the primary payroll of the 12th May 2011. One hundred and forty seven post-primary retired teachers in receipt of pension will be paid on the post primary payroll of the 19th May. Teachers employed in Vocational Education Committees are paid by the individual VECs and staff in third level institutes are paid by the individual institutes.