John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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1058. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on pension entitlements for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47548/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person named is a retired teacher who had worked as a substitute teacher in primary schools ahead of his retirement. The main issue raised by this teacher is that he believes he should have been on a higher point of the primary teacher pay scale before he retired.

As the point he was on has an impact on his pension rate, he wants the matter reviewed. His second issue relates to the recognition of his primary teaching substitute service completed prior to December 2001 which he wants recognised for incremental progression/incremental credit purposes.

This teacher was a qualified post primary teacher permitted to work as a primary teacher on foot of department circular 24/2000. The payroll area of my department also conducted an increment review in 2020 and updated this teacher’s pay scale at that time.

The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001, for primary teachers, and 29/2007 and 29/2010, for post-primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). The relevant circular applying here is 10/2001.

This teacher has never made an incremental credit application to the department to have their prior primary substitute service recognised for incremental credit purposes.

Paragraph 5 of primary incremental credit circular 10/2001 recognises primary substitute service where a qualified primary teacher held a permanent teaching post on or after 1 September 1998 and who had given substitute service in Republic of Ireland since 1 September 1985 up to the introduction of the Protection of Employees (Part-time Work) Act 2001 with effective date of 20 December 2001.

As this retired teacher is not a current serving qualified primary teacher, it is not open to him to apply for incremental credit relating to his prior primary substitute service. Also, his prior service would not meet the eligibility criteria for incremental credit under paragraph 5 of circular 10/2001.