Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the full year cost of restoring all allowances to new entry teachers which were abolished in 2012 to 2013. [51128/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As a consequence of the economic crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country’s public finances. 

The Government approved a number of measures relating to public service allowances following a public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments conducted by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of the Government decision, certain allowances were withdrawn for new beneficiaries with effect from 1 February 2012. The details are set out in Circular 08/2013.

Any person who was in receipt of the relevant allowances on 31 January 2012 will continue to be paid that allowance except where that teacher ceases that job role or changes school or employer on or after 1 February 2012. Where a teacher is redeployed under the agreed redeployment scheme, this will not be regarded as a cessation.

As part of the public service-wide review of allowances, the Government withdrew qualification allowances for new teachers altogether. As a result of the September 2016 Agreement with Unions, revised salary scales which include the Honours Primary Degree allowance will apply from 1 January 2018 to teacher recruited since 1 January 2011. This will mean that a teacher will start on a salary of over €35,900.

The annual cost of restoring the H.Dip allowance is estimated at €6.5 million. 

The annual cost of restoring other allowances to new entry teachers in Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools would be in the region of €0.87m, comprised of €0.37m to restore the Gaeltacht Allowance, €0.49m to restore the Teaching Through Irish allowance and €0.01m to restore the Island Allowance (Primary only).

These costs relate only to teachers paid on payrolls operated by my Department only and do not include the cost of teachers employed by Education and Training Boards.