Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he intends to apply the recommendations of the Cush and Ward reports only to those who have signed up to the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22414/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Expert Groups to consider and report on the level of fixed-term and part-time employment in teaching and in third-level lecturing were established under the Haddington Road Agreement.

In respect of the Report of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Lecturing (also known as the Cush Report), my Department has issued circular letters to employers in the third-level sector, setting out the detailed arrangements and procedures to begin implementation of the recommendations to academic staff who are covered by the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

The recommendations of the Report of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Teaching (also known as the Ward Report) enable new teachers to gain permanent employment and full hours more quickly than before. The recommendations as set out in Circular 0023/2015 will continue to apply to primary teachers as INTO have accepted the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

The Ward Report recommendations as they apply in the post-primary sector are set out in Circular 0024/2015 and this Circular will continue to apply to post-primary teachers who are covered by the Lansdowne Road Agreement, as TUI have accepted the Agreement.

As communicated by my Department previously, in opting to withdraw from the Lansdowne Road Agreement, ASTI members are also opting to forego a series of benefits and protections, including the withdrawal of the Ward Report benefits. Circular 0024/2015 has now been withdrawn in respect of post-primary teachers who are not covered by the Lansdowne Road Agreement. CID arrangements for such teachers will revert to the arrangements contained in Circular 34/2009, which include:

- A teacher must have in excess of 4 years continuous service before becoming eligible to be considered for a CID;

- A teacher with a part-time CID must hold additional hours for in excess of 4 continuous years before becoming eligible to have those hours considered for inclusion in their CID;

- The fact that a teacher is employed to cover the absence of another teacher on career break or secondment will resume as objective grounds for refusing a CID;

- Access to the CID Adjudication system will only be available to teachers who have in excess of 4 years continuous service.