Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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479. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has considered the reintroduction of an allowance for teachers on offshore islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4224/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department implemented the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The outcome of which was that many allowances were no longer payable to many new public service entrants including “new entrant” teachers.

Circular 8 of 2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role based allowances, sanction for payment to new beneficiaries of the Island allowance was withdrawn from 1st February 2012 under the terms of the Circular. Furthermore, if a teacher was eligible for receipt of the allowance prior to 1st February 2012 and subsequently left that job role on a voluntary basis, their entitlement to the allowance ceases from the date of the move and they cannot re-gain entitlement.

Additional amendments to teacher terms and conditions, including pay and allowances, may be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the public service unions.

My colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, is overseeing the development of an Islands policy with the aim of providing a coordinated Departmental response to address the socio-economic and structural needs of island communities.  The policy development process involved a number of strands, including consultation with island communities to identify their specific challenges, and meetings with Departments and other stakeholders to consider their responses to these challenges.

In that context my Department is contributing to the process with the aim of supporting effective delivery of education on the islands.