Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason new full-time primary school teachers must wait six weeks to receive their first salary payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12559/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The school managerial bodies are the direct employers of school staff and my Department acts as paymaster for over 4000 schools. My Department will pay the school staff within the terms of the Payment of Wages Act 1991 and government pay agreements once it receives instructions from the schools to do so.

When a completed contract/appointment form is received by my Department from the managerial authority, my staff will set up that teacher for salary payment for the next available pay date. Salary is paid in arrears for work done. The school year runs from 1st September to the 31st August. The majority of new appointments and staff changes take place at the commencement of the school year.

In that regard, my Department gives commitments to Schools/Teacher Unions/Managerial Bodies that completed contracts/appointment forms for teachers commencing at the commencement of the school year which are received by a specified date in July will be paid in the first pay issue in September. In September 2018 the first pay day was the 6th September 2018 and the commitment referred to was fully implemented on that payroll.

The managerial authorities of schools are regularly advised that contracts/appointment forms should be submitted to my Department in a timely manner to avoid late payment of salary.