Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected cost of reinstating teaching qualification allowances for new beneficiaries in the public sector which were removed in January 2011. [2883/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1 February 2012 following a Government Decision.

Qualifications details of teachers are now held by the Teaching Council which is the statutory body with responsibility for registering teachers. Projected costs of reinstating teaching qualification allowances for new beneficiaries are not readily available in my Department.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse the cut-off date of 5 December 2011 for graduate teachers who were completing their honours degree; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2887/15]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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192. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse the cut-off date for the honours degree allowance from 5 December 2011 to 1 September 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2888/15]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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193. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will back-pay affected teachers for their honours degree allowance who were not working on the cut-off date of 5 December 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2889/15]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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194. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the pay inequality being experienced by the students of Marino Institute of Education who commenced their honours degree during the 2011 to 2012 academic year and are unable to receive their full honours degree allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2890/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 194, inclusive, together.

In 2012 a public service-wide review of allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the review, qualification allowances were abolished with effect from 1st February 2012. Department of Education and Skills Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this decision on teachers.

In Paragraph 12 of Circular 0008/2013 an exception is made in the case "where as at 5 December 2011, a teacher in employment on that date and eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of the post they held on that date, was actively undertaking a course of further study leading to an additional qualification, provided that the teacher does not cease to be a registered student on that course before its completion. Such individuals may apply to the Department/VEC (now ETB) as appropriate for a derogation from the general position within 3 months of the date of receipt of the award." Teachers who were not in employment in an Oireachtas funded post on 5 December 2011 and not eligible for receipt of a qualification allowance in respect of any teaching post on that date, do not qualify for payment of an allowance in respect of the qualification related to the course being undertaken at that time.

The Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC) is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers, the purpose of which is to provide a means of dealing with claims and proposals relating to the salaries and terms and conditions of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission.

The issues raised by the Deputy have been brought to the TCC by representatives of the teachers concerned and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment further until the issues have been deliberated on by that forum.