Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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146. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the local bargaining process in the primary education sector; if she will provide an update on the 19 costings submitted in August 2024 under this process by an organisation (details supplied) as the lead union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17161/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Pay and workplace reform measures for public servants have been governed by a framework of public service pay agreements with the current agreement “Public Service Agreement (PSA)” in place until June 2026.

The agreements provided for pay restoration for public servants and new entrant pay has been gradually restored over the years. The previous agreement, Building Momentum provided for increases of 8.5% to 9.5% with lower paid workers receiving higher percentage increases.

The current PSA provides for further baseline increases of 9.25% for over 100,000 staff in the school sector again with lower paid workers receiving higher percentage increases. This will increase the pay of a teacher on the top point to around €85,000 per annum. The starting pay for a teacher will be around €46,000 per annum, almost €20,000 higher than the 2011 rates.

Under the local bargaining provision employers and trade unions/associations may negotiate additional changes in rates of pay and/or conditions of employment up to a maximum of 3% of the basic pay cost, inclusive of allowances in the nature of pay, of the particular grade, group or category of employee or bargaining unit. This may include proposals involving changes in structures, work practices or other conditions of service.

In this regard my Department has engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and the relevant Unions in the Education Sector to finalise the bargaining units for the Education Sector and the quantum of funding available for each such unit.

Once that process is complete, engagement on proposals for the fund can begin. As this is an ongoing industrial relations matter it would not be appropriate for me to comment in any further detail on this.