Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if teachers can work on medically retirement pensions; if so, the number of hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39979/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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When assessing an application for retirement on grounds of ill health, the Department must be satisfied that the terms of the pension scheme have been complied with. It must be determined based on medical evidence that the teacher is incapable by reason of infirmity of mind or body of discharging his/her duties as a teacher and that the infirmity is likely to be permanent.

A teacher who is awarded pension early on medical grounds may not subsequently engage in teaching. Where, however, a full recovery is made and a teacher wishes to return to teaching, prior to taking up any appointment, fresh medical evidence of fitness from the teacher’s current treating physician must be submitted for review by the Occupational Health Service (OHS) engaged by my Department.

Where a teacher is deemed by the OHS as fit to teach it is open to him/her to seek a teaching post. Where medical fitness to teach has been satisfactorily established, payment of pension benefits will then cease.