Written answers

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Department of Education and Skills

Teacher Data

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if retired teachers have been re-employed, filling teaching vacancies; if so, the number of same; the steps she has taken to stop this practice, and to re-retire such teachers, in view of the number of qualified teachers seeking employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8319/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The policy of my Department is to ensure, as far as possible, that the Managerial Authorities of Primary and Post-Primary schools give priority to unemployed registered teachers who are fully qualified when filling vacant teaching posts. It is schools that employ teachers and not my Department. However my Department has issued a number of Circulars addressing this issue in recent years.

Under these Circulars School Principals must maintain a list of unemployed registered teachers who are available for substitute work at short notice and report to the Board of Management on any exceptional occasion where they have had to engage a registered teacher who is retired. Circular 31/2011 details a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers, prioritising registered teachers over retired registered teachers and unregistered people.

A retired teacher who returns to teaching on or after 1 February 2012 will commence at the first point of the incremental salary scale (i.e. the lowest point or starting salary for teachers). Incremental credit for service prior to 1 February 2012, qualification allowances and certain job role allowances are also not payable. This measure represents a significant financial disincentive for teachers who retired at the top of their salary scale, often with a post of responsibility allowance, to return to teaching.

The most recent information available on retired teachers employed by managerial authorities of schools relates to the 2013/2014 school year.

During this period a total of 9,421 teaching days were worked by retired teachers. Retired Primary school teachers worked 5,259 days and retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools teachers worked 4,162 days. This is equivalent to 0.09% and 0.15% of the teaching allocation for the 2013/2014 school year in the respective sector.

A total of 537 retired teachers were employed during the 2013/14 school year: 302 retired Primary teachers and 235 retired Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive teachers. 74% of those teachers worked the equivalent of 20 days or less during the entire school year. The number of retired Education and Training Board teaching staff who have been re-employed is not readily available in my Department.

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