Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
who intend to retire on or before 29 February 2012 that they are required to give 3 calendar
months’ notice of their date of retirement. The circular also stated that a notification may not
be withdrawn on or after the date indicated as the last day of service. It was pointed out in
that circular that failure to give the required notice could result in a delay in payment of
pension benefits.
Accordingly, the actual number retiring will not be accurately known until after 29 February,
2012. When the work of processing pension benefits for those retiring has been addressed it is
intended to commence work on compiling detailed statistical data on the number of teachers
who retired and to publish this information on my Departments’ website.
Primary Secondary Community and Comprehensive Teachers Retirements based on applications received.
Month Primary Secondary and C+C Total
December 2011 142 110 252
January 2012 136 61 197
February 2012 532 437 969
Total for Period 810 608 1,418
Teachers’ Remuneration
230. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a
matter (details supplied) regarding teaching positions; and if he will make a statement on the
matter. [7909/12]
260. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, in the context of
the attached correspondence (details supplied), he will review the decision to suspend payments
of allowances to new entrants pending a review; in view of the impact that this will have upon
persons who are currently obtaining their professional qualifications and are due to graduate
in the next four months or so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8469/12]
Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I propose to take Questions Nos.
230 and 260 together.
Under Circular 70/2011 teachers who have been engaged in a public sector teaching post on
or before 4 December 2011 are eligible to retain the allowances they were entitled to be in
receipt of on that date. Existing teachers will not be paid any additional allowance where they
acquire any further qualification on or after 5 December 2011.
Circular 3/2012 issued on 31 January 2012 provides that, pending the outcome of a review
by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, allowances are not payable to new
beneficiaries; ie those who become eligible for receipt of the allowance in question on or after
1 February 2012. Examples of such allowances include any form of qualification allowance or
the supervision and substitution payment paid to teachers, and the secretary to the Board of
Management allowance paid to school principals. The only exceptions to this prohibition are
principal and deputy principal allowances.
I am not in a position to comment on the position of existing teachers who, on 5 December
2011, were undertaking courses until the outcome of the of the public service-wide review of
allowances is known.
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