Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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244. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers on secondment overseas in association with EU programmes or other programmes; the arrangements in respect of these secondments; if the full Irish teachers' salary continues to be paid while working overseas; the other payments that are made as part of the programme to the person overseas under these programmes; the maximum number of years a person will remain on secondment; if the Irish salary or the salary received in respect of the work overseas is partly funded by the EU or some other programme; the cost of this in 2013; the estimate for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32526/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Irish teachers are seconded to the European Schools System in fulfilment of Ireland's obligations under an intergovernmental protocol – the Convention Defining the Statute of the European Schools. The number of teachers currently on secondment to the European Schools System is 63.

The European Schools are a system of nursery, primary and secondary schools established and maintained by the European Union and its Member States. The schools serve the needs of children whose parents are officials of the EU Commission, European Parliament and other official European institutions.

The secondment of a teacher to the European Schools System is subject to the agreement of the board of management in the teacher's school in Ireland. If the board of management is agreeable to the secondment, the board is authorised to appoint a fully qualified temporary teacher (whose salary is paid by the Department) during the period of secondment of the teacher.

Teachers seconded from Ireland to the European Schools receive their current salary (including normal increments and increases) from the Department of Education and Skills. Normal deductions from salary continue to be made.

Teachers on secondment to the European Schools also receive an additional salary from the European Schools which will be linked to the level of their salary in Ireland. An adjustment is made to the European salary to equalise the tax paid in Ireland with the rates of tax paid by EU officials.

Teachers may also be entitled to family allowances (household, dependent child and education allowances), an annual allowance for travelling home to Ireland, an expatriation allowance (equal to 16% of the basic European Schools salary and of any household and dependent child allowances), and installation and departure allowances on taking up and leaving the post, as well as removal expenses. The maximum number of years a person remains on secondment is 9 years - in exceptional circumstances a 10th year is allowed.

The cost in 2013 was some €3.1m and the estimated cost for 2014 is of the order of €3.2m.