Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 17 November 2016, the reason it is not expressly detailed in chapter 5, 5.5 of the terms and conditions of employment for registered teachers in recognised primary and post-primary schools that sitting Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas that are teachers on a career break may not apply to resume teaching duties on a job-sharing basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38247/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As already stated in response to Parliamentary Question Nos. 220 and 226 of 29 November 2016, a teacher who is a sitting member of the Oireachtas cannot retain their post on a job-sharing or full-time basis while serving as a member of the Oireachtas. This gives effect to the Government decision of 2011 which revised the employment and pension arrangements for teachers who became Oireachtas members so that any member of the Oireachtas who holds a teaching post in a primary, secondary, community, comprehensive or vocational school would have the option of applying for a career break of up to 10 years. This replaced then existing leave arrangements. The decision also applied to lecturing staff of Institutes of Technology. The December 2015 Government decision extended these career break/unpaid leave provisions to all staff in the education and training sector.  

The 2011 Government decision is communicated to school management and teachers in Chapter 4 of the Terms & Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools - Career Break Scheme where it states “The main objectives of this scheme below, which are not exhaustive, is for employers, wherever possible to facilitate applicants in the areas of: ... Public Representation".

The effect of the Government decisions is that the only means by which a person employed in the education and training sector who takes up a seat in the Oireachtas can temporarily take leave from their post and subsequently return to it is through taking a career break/period of unpaid leave.

To permit Oireachtas members to job share in a teaching post whilst still members of the Oireachtas would mean such members receiving two public salaries at the same time. One as a public representative and one as a teacher with consequent reduced hours for the existing replacement teacher.

The reason public representation is not stated in chapter 5 of the Terms & Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools - Job Sharing Scheme is because public representation is already covered in Chapter 4 of the book.

I am aware that a number of Oireachtas members are employed as teachers or at other grades in the education and training sector. The career break/unpaid leave arrangements apply to all such individuals while they are sitting Oireachtas members. I am sure that you, along with all members of the Oireachtas, will appreciate the thinking behind the Government decisions in this matter and to allow an Oireachtas member to job share in a teaching post whilst at the same time attend the Oireachtas as a member would not be in keeping with the Government decision.