Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Circular 0041/2023 (Revision of Teachers’ Salaries under the Building Momentum Pay Agreement) has been superseded by Circular 0033/2024 (Revision of Teachers’ Salaries under the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026).

With regard to the removal of the clause that qualification allowances are not payable, the Department of Education, along with other Departments across the public service, implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This meant that many allowances were no longer payable to “new entrants” including Teachers. However, over the course of recent collective agreements amendments have been agreed which have seen certain allowances previously withdrawn being integrated back into “new entrant” teacher pay. Examples of which include the value of the honour’s primary degree allowance and more recently the value of the PME allowance.

In terms of the reintroduction of any other allowances, additional amendments to Teacher Terms and Conditions can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the public service unions. Any further amendments to alter the allowances paid to teachers, whether “new entrant” or not, give rise to significant cost issues and should, as mentioned, be part of engagement and collective agreements between Unions and Government.