Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider the reintroduction of the allowance for teachers in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools (details supplied). [3171/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 120 together.

My Department implemented theoutcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments(September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform whichmeans that many allowances, including this one, were no longer payable to“new entrant” Teachers.

Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role basedallowances, sanction for payment to new beneficiaries of the Teaching through Irish Allowance and Gaeltacht Allowance was withdrawn from 1st February 2012 under the terms of theCircular. Furthermore, if a teacherwas eligible for receipt of the allowance prior to 1st February 2012 andsubsequently left that job role on or after 1st February 2012 on a voluntarybasis, their entitlement to the allowance ceases from the date of the moveand they cannot re-gain entitlement.

Additional amendments to Teacher Terms and Conditions, including pay andallowances, can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargainingagreements between the Government and the public service unions. Over thecourse of recent collective agreements amendments have been agreed includingthat “new entrant” teachers had the equivalent of an honours primary degreeallowance integrated into their salary scale.

Any further amendments to alter the allowances paid to teachers, whether“new entrant” or not, give rise to significant cost issues and should, as mentioned,be part of engagement and collective agreements between Unions andGovernment. Any review of the eligibility criteria for qualificationallowances can occur only under that process.