Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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254. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of secondary school teaching staff placed on administrative leave from 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the duration of each administrative leave; the costs incurred to facilitate the placing of teachers on administrative leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44663/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Administrative Leave is a temporary leave of absence, with pay, which may be granted where it is necessary for a teacher to be absented from work in order to carry out an investigation. It may only be granted in limited situations where the continued presence of a teacher has the potential to present an on-going risk such as situations concerning child protection, serious misconduct or fraud. The cost of the substitute teacher is borne by my Department.

Thirteen Post Primary teachers were placed on Administrative Leave from 2013 to 2017 and two teachers in 2018 to date.

Please see attachment for details regarding duration of each case and substitution costs.

Each case and its duration is set out in the following table:

* The substitution costs below are estimated on the basis of the “new entrant” casual daily rate of pay for substitute teachers multiplied by the number of working days they were employed to replace a teacher on administrative leave.

Figures for Post Primary teachers employed by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and placed on administrative leave are not readily available in my Department and are not included in the above tables.