Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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66. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why he has a notice on his website advising teachers who he deems to be in repudiation of the public service stability agreement 2013-2016, Lansdowne Road agreement, that they will lose the benefits to a contract of indefinite duration after two years, as set out in the report to the Minister for Education and Skills of the chairperson of the expert group on fixed-term and part-time employment in primary and second level education in Ireland (Ward report); his views on this approach and how he will administer it, given that this would be in contravention of data protection legislation; if he retains information pertaining to the union membership of teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15236/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a responsibility to ensure that ASTI members are fully aware of the implications of their decision to withdraw from the Lansdowne Road Agreement. In doing so, ASTI members are opting to forego a series of benefits and protections, such as avoiding an increment freeze, continuation of the alleviation of the FEMPI Act 2013 pay cut for higher earners, the Supervision and Substitution payment of €796 due to be paid on 1 September and protection against compulsory redundancy. A further significant consequence will be the withdrawal of the benefits introduced for new teachers under the Ward Report, which enable them to gain permanent employment and full hours more quickly than before.

I would prefer that those consequences are avoided. While ASTI have declined an invitation to engage with my Department on issues of concern to them, that invitation remains open.

In terms of implementation, my Department is conscious of the requirements of data protection legislation, and will put in place arrangements to distinguish between teachers represented by unions that have accepted the Lansdowne Road Agreement and teachers represented by unions that have not.