Written answers
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Department of Education and Skills
School Staff
Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1044. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a cost breakdown of the expenditure of the “Teachers’ Professional Journeys: The First Decade” longitudinal research study, in tabular form. [20828/25]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Teachers’ Professional Journeys: The First Decade longitudinal research study, was jointly commissioned and is jointly funded by the Teaching Council and Department of Education.
The following is a tabular breakdown of the payment made by the Department of Education to date:
| Year | Cost breakdown | Dept of Education payment |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Project initiation, establishment and preparation for data collection, detailed breakdown of activities include: | €175,000 |
| 2024 | Project management, desk-based research and associated activities, and initial data collection and piloting, detailed breakdown of activities include: | €177,500 |
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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1045. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 304 of 20 March 2025, the reason an applicant (details supplied) was denied leave in 2012 and therefore refused incremental credit despite a circular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20835/25]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I refer to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 304 of 20 March 2025, in which my department confirmed that an application for incremental credit has not been received from the teacher noted. Officials from my department have subsequently established that this matter refers to incremental progression on the salary scale.
Please note that Circular 18/2000, provided as part of this Parliamentary Question, was not the Circular in operation in 2012. Circular 18/2000 was superseded by Circular 32/2007.
Under the terms of Circular 32/2007 special leave with pay may be granted to a teacher who is representing Ireland at an international sporting event, e.g. a European or World Championship or the Olympic Games. This non-statutory leave scheme allows the teacher to apply to attend the actual competitive sporting event but does not, for example, allow for leave to attend any associated training camps, etc. My department has confirmed that an application in respect of the 2012 Olympics has not been received from the teacher noted.
Where there is no specific leave type available to cover the requested absence, teachers may apply to their employer to take unpaid leave, subject to a maximum of 10 days in a school year. Under the terms and conditions of this leave, unpaid leave, which is a non-statutory leave type, does not count towards incremental progression. Where unpaid leave has been exhausted, a teacher may have to consider alternative forms of leave. Depending on the absence required the alternative leave schemes that could be considered may include the Job-Share Scheme or the Career Break Scheme.
While my department issues the circular letters which contain the terms and conditions of the various leave schemes, it is a matter for the School, as the employer, and for the teacher, as the employee, to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions of the leave scheme prior to applying for or reviewing a leave application.
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