Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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90. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if teachers who avail of the bike-to-work scheme must repay the full salary deduction by the end of the current tax year, that is, by the end of October. [39545/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a payroll service to over 160,000 school staff and pensioners.

As part of the payroll service, the Cycle to Work scheme is offered to over 130,000 school staff in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. The terms and conditions of the scheme are outlined in Departmental Circular 56/2020.

There are different options for payment which include one off payment and salary deduction each fortnight. In administering the various deductions, programmes and activities involved in running our service, the Department seeks to balance the various, and sometimes competing, priorities and deadlines that arise in running a payroll service for more than 130,000 payees employed by thousands of schools across the country.

Payroll staff has sought to balance the administration associated with the scheme and the application of the scheme from a payee perspective. Where a member of staff is permanent, all salary deductions must be completed by the last payroll in October of the calendar year in which they commence.