Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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590. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the ongoing inequities in the pay for principals of special schools given that principal allowances are currently calculated solely on the number of teaching staff, despite special school principals routinely managing significantly larger multidisciplinary teams. [39544/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I am keenly aware of the valuable work that Principals within Special Schools do in supporting pupils with special education needs and I recognise the very important role of Principals in the running of these schools.

Following close engagement with special schools, with awareness of the challenges they face, a number of support measures have been introduced for special schools by my Department. One such measure, set out in Circular Letter 0028/2024, provided that the 15-teacher threshold no longer applies, and all special schools may appoint an Administrative Deputy Principal.

The current pay agreement, Public Service Agreement (PSA) 2024-2026, contains a local bargaining provision which under which employers and trade unions/associations may negotiate additional changes in rates of pay and/or conditions of employment.

In this regard, the Department has engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER) 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.

The INTO, in agreement with the Department of Education and Youth, has elected to use its funding under the 1% local bargaining tranche to make arrangements for a series of allowances, one of which is a 7.5% increase to the Principal Teacher Allowance for Primary and Special schools. These measures are specifically targeted at addressing identified areas of challenge in recruitment and retention.

Additional amendments to teacher Terms and Conditions, including amendments to allowances, can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the Public Service unions. Such changes can occur only under those processes, and any such proposals would need to be considered in detail by the Department, DPER and the relevant unions.