Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his view on whether there is a clear pay disparity between teachers recruited before 1 January 2011 and those recruited thereafter with regard to pay equality for teachers; his further views on whether it is unacceptable to maintain such pay disparities; his plans to address pay equality issues beyond the steps already agreed in relation to restoration of a qualification allowance payment; the cost of restoring teachers recruited since 1 January 2011 to the previous pay scale; the elements which make up this cost; and the number of teachers affected. [2992/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. These included pay reductions and also reductions to the pay of new entrant public servants, including teachers, since 2011. Collective agreements reached between the Government and the public service unions provided vital industrial peace during this very difficult period for the State.

The Haddington Road/Lansdowne Road Agreement has allowed a programme of restoration to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers.

In education, there is a well-established increment system. Teachers are not paid equally. For example, the pay scale for teachers appointed prior to 2011 ranges from €32,009 to €60,155 depending on the date that the individual began teaching. Part of the negotiation to date has secured a convergence of the scales of recruits at different periods. Any further negotiation on new entrant pay cannot focus on just one sector. A broader assessment of pay and new entrant pay will be informed by the analysis of the Public Service Pay Commission.

ASTI members are currently balloting on a set of proposals published by the Teachers Conciliation Council in November. The proposals provide ASTI members with an opportunity to benefit from the programme of pay restoration described above, including the agreement reached with TUI and INTO, which will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4600 and €6700) for new entrant teachers. There are also other immediate undoubted benefits for individual ASTI members in accepting the proposals. 

The ASTI Central Executive Committee took a decision to put the outcome of the talks process to a ballot of members with a recommendation to reject. The ASTI’s leadership have taken a view on the proposals. It is now over to the members to form their view.

ASTI members will have to weigh the benefits up for themselves. These benefits are only available to ASTI members if they vote to accept. ASTI’s membership now have a decision to make as to whether to accept the TCC proposals and the immediate benefits on offer or to engage again in industrial action. It is for the ASTI leadership to explain its strategy in respect of the latter approach.