Special needs children will have to do with less next year
-
Press Statement Sheila Nunan, General Secretary, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation on Special Needs Resources
Special needs children will have to do with less next year
The INTO said the threatened cut in resource teaching hours to special needs pupils is a matter of grave concern to teachers.
The union said teachers in primary schools had supported the full integration of special needs children but needed additional resources to make it work. “Unsupported integration will not work,” said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.
Ms Nunan said the threatened cuts would see special needs children in some of the largest classes in the EU getting less help than before. “Calls to do more with less should not extend to special needs children,” she said.
She acknowledged that there was an increase in demand but said this related to more children with special needs such as speech and language difficulties being identified by speech therapists. “The challenge to policy makers and to society is to find the resources to support these children.”
The INTO said the cuts were the latest in a series of service reductions to special needs pupils. “Already Traveller children in all schools and disadvantaged children in rural Ireland will see a significant cut in teaching resources,” said Ms Nunan.
Ms Nunan said the cuts were a direct result of the bank bailout and was clear evidence that children were paying the price. “The money paid to rescue the banks would fund the extra resource hours for children every year for more than 5,000 years”.
-
NCSE Confirms Application Date of 13 May for SEN Support
INTO Meets DES on Pause of Resource Hours Allocation
INTO representatives met with DES officials this afternoon to discuss the pause in the sanctioning of resource teaching hours for pupils with special educational needs.
The NCSE has issued an information note to schools confirming that the final date for submitting any outstanding completed applications for resource teaching supports to their SENO is Friday 13 May.
At the meeting today the INTO emphasized the importance of ensuring an early resolution to the current uncertainty for schools and pupils in relation to SEN support next year.
The CEC will be considering the implications of the current situation at its meeting next Monday and will be in further discussion with the DES and NCSE in an effort to resolve matters.
Further updates will be posted here when available.
Date: Wednesday, 13 April 11
Message from Sheila Nunan re Public Service Pay Cuts
Dear Colleague,
Legislation will be introduced and the Dáil will vote next week on the introduction of public service pay cuts.
It is crucial that every INTO member makes their TDs of all parties aware that how they vote on that legislation will influence the voting intentions of over 300,000 public servants and their families in the next general election.
You can get your TDs’ email addresses by clicking here.
Contact them NOW by email and tell them:
- You won’t be voting for any candidate or party that supports a second public service pay cut in less than a year.
- Your family income is down by €… because of the decisions of this Government.
- You are furious that the Government reneged on an agreement last week – an agreement that would have delivered the required payroll savings without cutting pay rates.
- You are sick of being vilified by some politicians and media commentators, and sick of carrying an unfair burden to clear up the mess of failed government policy and greedy bankers and speculators.
Last week an effective lobby by business organisations helped to wreck a deal that would have protected pay rates and pensions. It’s time we showed elected representatives that we are also a serious force in national and local elections.
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS EMAIL TO OTHERS
PLEASE NOTE – this action is just one part of INTO’s response to the Budget The Central Executive Committee meets today and tomorrow to decide an overall response, which will include legal, political, lobbying campaigning and industrial action measures against the pay cuts.
See www.into.ie for updates.
Yours in solidarity,
Sheila Nunan,
Incoming General Secretary.
Details of Budget 2010
Details of Budget 2010 are available below.
Pay Cuts for Public Servants
| Salary |
Income Reduction |
Amount in Euros |
| 30k | 5% |
1500 |
|---|---|---|
| 40k |
5.625% | 2250 |
| 50k | 6% | 3000 |
| 60k | 6.25% | 3750 |
| 70k |
6.42% | 4494 |
| 80k | 6.875% | 5500 |
| 90k | 7.22% | 6498 |
| 100k | 7.5% | 7500 |
* Figures generated in INTO Head Office and subject to verification
Other Information
- No cuts to Public Service pensions.
- Public servants retiring in 2010 will not have cuts included in pension and lump sum calculations.
- New entrants from 2010 to have different pension scheme and increased retiring age.
- Pension parity for existing and retired teachers under threat from review.
- PTR and capitation grants safeguarded.
- 500 extra teachers over next 3 years at first and second level.
- Substantial cut in building fund.
- Link to the Department of Finance Budget 2010 page - Education
- Link to main Department of Finance summary budget page
- Link to the INTO press release on Budget 2010
- Download the INTO Pre-Budget Submission
- Link to the INTO press release on the Pre-Budget Submission
Date: Wednesday, 9 December 09
Teacher Unions Rule Out Return to Talks on Change
Press Statement by Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, Irish Federation of University Teachers, Irish National Teachers' Organisation, Teachers' Union of Ireland
Teacher unions rule out return to talks on change
The general secretaries and presidents of the four teacher unions met this morning to consider the impact of the budget on teachers and their families and plan a response.
The leadership of the unions is determined to reflect the anger of teachers at the budget cuts to salaries and changes to pensions through a sustained campaign of opposition.
The four unions said the unilateral imposition of a pay cut in the budget was completely incompatible with social partnership which in the view of the four teacher unions is now over.
All of the unions categorically rejected out of hand any suggestion that talks on a transformation agenda could continue. The unions said government had its chance to talk last week but spurned the opportunity. “Those talks are over,” said a spokesperson. “They will not be restarted."
Date: Thursday, 10 December 09
Immediate Action Needed
The CEC decided at its meeting today to ask members, in addition to emailing TDs as requested in previous E-Newsletter, to do their best to lobby local TDs in constituency clinics this weekend.
Legislation will be introduced and the Dáil will vote next week on the introduction of public service pay cuts. It is crucial that every INTO member makes their TDs of all parties aware that how they vote on that legislation will influence the voting intentions of over 300,000 public servants and their families in the next general election.
There is no need to engage TDs in long conversations about the budget or listen to what will no doubt be prepared responses on why they had to do what they did.
The only purpose of going to meet a government TD in their constituency clinics is to tell them:
You won’t be voting for any candidate or party that supports a second public service pay cut in less than a year.
Your family income is down by €… because of the decisions of this Government.
You are furious that the Government reneged on an agreement last week – an agreement that would have delivered the required payroll savings without cutting pay rates.
You are sick of being vilified by some politicians and media commentators, and sick of carrying an unfair burden to clear up the mess of failed government policy and greedy bankers and speculators.
Tell them what you think of the last year:
You did not expect a pension levy of around 7.5%
You did not expect a pay cut of on average 6.5%
You also had to pay the same levies as everyone else.
You expected to have a 3.5% increase in September 2009
Pensions
The much spoken benefit of being a public servant – is damaged beyond repair. The automatic link to salaries is gone. The Government is pretending to be nice to pensioners by not passing on the cut – but the real loss is long term. In the long term you and thousands of other pensioners will lose out.
Tell your local TD
You are a constituent and there are x votes in your house.
You expect your TD to represent your views and support you.
You will not vote for someone or a party that does not support you.
You feel a real sense of betrayal by this government.
You blame government inaction in the past in not putting in place a wide and fair taxation system.
You will support action decided by your union to oppose this budgetary decision.
If you cannot visit then make a phone call
(click here for contact details for TDs)Please don’t leave it to someone else to lobby TDs. This weekend it is vital that every TD knows how you as a voter intend to react.
Yours in solidarity
Sheila Nunan
Scandal of TDs Expenses Revealed
Morning Ireland revealed today (December 15th) that this year to date, TD’s have claimed €6.2m in expenses (mostly unvouched) and €2.8m in allowances, a grand total of €9m that represents a figure of over €54000 per TD! The unvouched expenses are made up of such items as constituency travel and miscellaneous expenses. Vouched expenses relate to phone calls and travel to meetings. Some of the top claimants this year include John O’Donoghue FF, the ex-Ceann Comhairle with €117,000, John Treacy FF, €195000 and Brendan Kenneally FF, €73,000. When you consider that these expenses and allowances are all tax free and that 50% of salary is also tax free, you may well wonder why these well-heeled TD’s raised their heads above the parapet to become the moral conscience of the nation last week to ensure that the union negotiations with the Government were scuppered. It is now imperative that justice be seen to be done. Unvouched expenses must be abolished, Payments for attendance must cease. TD’s must pay taxes on their full salaries. We must see an end to public servants manning constituency offices for Ministers.
These backbenchers have their heads so far up their derrières that all they can contemplate are their own entrails. What an appalling vista that must be!
Here for comparative purposes are the relevant figures for MP’s and TD’s
Source: The Irish Times - Saturday, May 16, 2009 Mary Minahan
TDs: Basic Salary: €100,191
MPs: Basic salary: £64,766 (€72,717).
MPs can also claim for:
Stationery: £7,000 (€7,863)
Communications allowance: £10,000 (€11,233), covering websites, constituency newsletters, postage, etc.
Overnights: maximum of £23,083 (€25,927) to cover “costs incurred when staying overnight away from their main home for the purpose of performing parliamentary duties”.
Members who live in Inner London receive the £2,812 (€3,157) London Supplement instead.
Security costs for offices up to a maximum of £1,500 (€1,684) are available.
Mileage rate: first 10,000 miles per year at the rate of 40p per mile, and over 10,000 at 25p per mile. The motorbike mileage rate is 24p per mile and 20p for bicycles.
Source: www.parliament.uk
TDs: what they can earn
Basic Salary: €100,191
They can also claim for:
Mobile phone allowance: up to a maximum of €750 every 18 months, on production of an original receipt.
Annual constituency office maintenance Allowance: €8,0000. This covers outgoings such as rent, rates and heating.
Unvouched constituency travel allowance: Payment ranges from €2,475 to €8,782, depending on the size of the constituency.
Daily allowance: €61.53 for members who live within 24.135 kilometres (15 miles) of Leinster House.
Miscellaneous expense allowance: €5,489.08, unvouched.
Source: Houses of the Oireachtas
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? - New Dates
In his recent Budget speech, the Minister for Finance announced that public servants who retire in 2010 will have their pension and lumpsum benefits calculated on their 2009 salary rather than the lower scales introduced on 1 January 2010.
Many of our colleagues who were not contemplating retirement in 2010 are considering whether they should bring their retirement forward to 2010 in light of the Minister’s announcement.
In view of the high level of queries received in our office in relation to this topic, the INTO has decided to host a series of regional seminars to assist people in their decision making.
All members considering retirement are welcome to attend these seminars.
Please note:-
- These targeted seminars will focus on the theme of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” They will not address wider pension issues such as AVCs, Notional Service, Social Welfare entitlements, etc. These issues will be addressed in our regular Retirement Planning Seminars which will be continuing as normal during the year.
- Thurs 4th February: Tullamore Court Hotel, 4.30-7.00pm
- Mon 8th February: The Clarion Hotel, Sligo, 4.30-7.30pm
- Tues 9th February: Fairways Hotel, Dundalk, 4.30-7.00pm
- Tues 9th February: Dromhall Hotel, Killarney, 4.30-7.00pm
- * Wed 10th February: West County Hotel, Ennis, 4.30-7.00pm
- Mon 22nd February, Tower Hotel, Waterford, 4.30-7.00pm
- Tues 23rd February: South Court Hotel, Limerick, 4.00-6.30pm
- * Mon 1st March: Galway Bay Hotel, 4.30-7.00pm
- * Tues 2nd March: Clonmel Park Hotel, 4.30-7.00pm
- Wed 3rd March: Talbot Hotel, Carlow, 4.30-7.00pm
- * Mon 8th March: Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny, 4.30-7.00pm
- Seminars to be held in Dublin - dates and venues to be confirmed
Impact of Budget on Salaries
The DES has revised the salary scales and allowances to reflect the pay decrease which was introduced with effect from 1 Jan 2010. The scales will be posted on this site when they become available.
The first pay day for primary teachers in 2010 is Thursday next, 7 January. This is in respect of the payment period 22/12/09 to 4/1/10. The payment period includes 4 days at the reduced rate of pay. However, as this payroll was prepared prior to the revised scales being available to the DES, the reduction will not be reflected in the payment of 7 Jan.
The second pay day for primary teachers in 2010 is Thursday 21 January. This is in respect of the payment period 5 January to18 January 2010. This cheque will be based on the reduced scales and will also include the reduction that should have applied for the four days (1 to 4 January) in the first pay issue.
It will therefore be the third pay day (4 February) before the impact of the reduced pay rates on a fortnightly basis will be reflected accurately.
Click on these links to see how budget cuts affect common basic salary scales, promoted posts allowance and academic and other allowances.
Section 29 Appeals
Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 allows parents of pupils affected by a refusal to enrol/suspension/expulsion decision of a Board of Management to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education.
Three High Court judgements have been made in respect of judicial review proceedings taken by schools against decisions that have been made by Section 29 committees.
The Minister for Education and Science has lodged an appeal against one of these judgements to the Supreme Court. In the meantime the Department of Education and Science has written to the INTO stating that pending the outcome of this appeal, the role of a Section 29 Committee is confined to reviewing whether a school Board of Management applied its own policies correctly and lawfully and in a reasonable and rational manner.
Revised documentation for Section 29 appeals, including a new information note for parents,
has now been posted on the DES website.
Date: Thursday, 4 February 10
Teachers' Flat Rate Expenses - Update
The following expenses for teachers have been confirmed by the Revenue:
| School Principals | €608 |
|---|---|
| Other teachers |
€518 |
| Part-time teachers |
€279 |
In addition to the above:
- An allowance for teachers "engaged mainly in teaching general subjects but also doing part-time PE" of €126 is also available.
- All teachers registered with the Teaching Council can claim a tax credit of €90 for the registration fee.
Date: Wednesday, 10 February 10
Updated Information re ICT Grant
The DES have updated their FAQs in relation to the €22 million issued to primary schools for ICT before Christmas.
- Details are at
Date: Friday, 12 February 10
Sheila Nunan Slams Government Policies
Incoming General Secretary of the INTO and vice chair of the Public Services Committee of Congress, Sheila Nunan, said government policies had turned “boom to bust, surplus to deficit and for many, hope into despair” at a mass meeting of public servants in Galway last night.
She accused government of turning its back on its own workers in a vain attempt to find a solution to the ills of the Irish economy. She said a campaign of vilification had fuelled a falsehood of an over-staffed, under-worked, well-paid, afraid to reform, unwilling to transform public service.
“Many people are prepared to believe this tissue of lies,” said Ms Nunan. “Desperate for economic recovery they find it easy to believe competitiveness will be restored, the economy rebooted and prosperity regained if only we had a reformed, transformed, modernised public service.”
Ms Nunan said far from being a brake on economic success, Ireland’s public services actually underpin our global competitiveness.
She said The Global Competitiveness Report 2009–2010 published by the World Economic Forum in Switzerland highlighted the competitive advantages and disadvantages of 133 countries worldwide.
“When it comes to Ireland, significant competitive advantages are the reliability of police services, the quality of primary, second and third level education and life expectancy due to the quality of our health services,” said Ms Nunan.
She contrasted this with Ireland’s significant disadvantages outlined in the report including trust in politicians, the soundness of our banks and the lack of access to loans.
Ms Nunan said one of Ireland’s biggest advantages is the quality of our education system. “In the world of education, the only disadvantage is inadequate education expenditure.”
“Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett is right,” said Ms Nunan. “We need to invest more, not less in education.”
But she said she was not prepared to argue that there was no room for change, improvement or transformation particularly in an area such as education. “Education,” she said, “will be the engine of economic recovery.”
“If education is prioritised for investment Ireland can get involved in a race to the top rather than the bottom.
But she warned that cutting salaries, suppressing recruitment and promotions, threatening pensions would damage the morale of decent hardworking teachers and would not solve Ireland’s economic woes. “Instead of ignoring its workers government must enter into dialogue with the unions to find a real road to recovery,” said Ms Nunan.
Date: Wednesday, 24 February 10
Details of Draft Public Service Deal
The draft deal concluded between Public Service unions and Government representatives early this morning consists of (a) an overall Framework dealing with pay policy, pension provision and public service transformation, and (b) specific proposals in relation to each sector.
The CEC is meeting today (Wednesday afternoon, March 31st) to consider the outcome of the talks. In the meantime we are posting the Framework document and an outline of the Education Sector Reform proposals. Further details will be posted as they are received.
Educational Sector Reform
proposals
Framework document
Sectoral Agreements
Appendix: Service Delivery Options
Appendix: Redeployment Arrangements
INTO opposes changes to Public Service Pensions
Click on the link below to see an item from last night's TV3 news including an interview with John Carr, INTO General Secretary:
Attack on Public Service Pensions
“Attacks by wealthy elite on public service pensions obscene,” says
INTO
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said today that
calls by IBEC for changes to teachers’ pensions were completely unacceptable but
sadly predictable. “This is what we have come to expect from the representatives
of the wealthy elite,” said John Carr, INTO General Secretary.
New EAL Circular
The DES has just published a revised circular on EAL that supersedes the previous circular. It confirms that savage cutbacks in the provision of EAL teachers is to proceed. To read the circular please click here.
Revised Maternity Leave/Adoptive
Leave
The Department of Education and Science have recently issued
Circular 84/2008 which deals with the
revised sequence of maternity leave/adoptive leave. This change in sequencing
comes as a result of a claim from the three teacher unions at the Teachers’
Conciliation Council. A difficulty had arisen with regard to maintaining a
continuous PRSI contribution record while on maternity/ adoptive leave and in
order to rectify that problem it was necessary to rearrange the manner in which
teachers took maternity/adoptive leave.
A PRSI employment contribution credit is given by the
Department of Social and Family Affairs for each week of additional unpaid
statutory maternity leave up to a maximum of 16 weeks. The Department of Social
and Family Affairs state that the additional unpaid statutory leave must follow
directly after paid statutory maternity leave.
The sequence at present for absences from duty under the
provisions of the Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004 for teachers are as
follows:
-
Paid maternity leave – first 26 weeks.
-
Leave in lieu (under approved maternity leave scheme) in respect of first 26 weeks.
-
Additional unpaid maternity leave – maximum of 16 weeks.
-
Additional leave in lieu in respect of unpaid maternity leave.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs will only credit
the teacher with a PRSI employment contribution credit in the case where the
unpaid maternity statutory leave follows immediately after the paid maternity
leave. Under the current sequence where leave in lieu follows directly after
maternity leave this breaks the continuity between the maternity leave and the
unpaid maternity leave. This is considered by the Department of Social and
Family Affairs to indicate a return to work resulting in a cessation of
entitlements to credits. In order to maintain the continuity of the PRSI
employment contributions it is necessary to change the sequence which currently
applies.
The revised sequence is as follows – this will come into
place on or after 1 September 2008:
-
Paid maternity leave – first 26 weeks (statutory leave).
-
-
Additional unpaid maternity leave – maximum 16 weeks (statutory leave).
-
Leave in lieu under approved maternity leave scheme in respect of first 26 weeks.
-
Additional leave in lieu in respect of unpaid statutory maternity leave.
In addition, the existing provision to take non-statutory unpaid maternity leave until the end of the school year will continue for teachers.
In respect of adoptive leave the same arrangements which apply in the case of maternity leave will apply.
-
-
INTO Membership Card
INTO Membership Cards have now posted to members. This card is personal to you. Your name and membership number are displayed on the front of the card, while on the back, the black magnetic strip contains your name, your new INTO membership number and your DES teacher number.
Details were printed in the March 2009 issue of InTouch with regard to registering in a Members Area on the INTO website. For security reasons, additional information other than that published on your card will be required to access this area.
Newly Elected General Treasurer
Noel Ward has been elected as INTO General Treasurer/Deputy General Secretary. This position was previously held by Sheila Nunan who was earlier this year elected General Secretary.
The outcome of the ballot for General Treasurer was a first count win for Noel Ward. He received 7,259 votes, with the other candidates John Boyle and Deirdre O’Connor polling 2,178 and 1,803 respectively.
A native of Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick, Noel Ward is currently a Senior Official in the Legal & Industrial Relations Section at head office. He is also INTO’s Equality Officer. He previously taught for 25 years in Dublin city and in Tallaght. His INTO work included being the founding Secretary of Tallaght INTO Branch in 1982 and serving on the CEC for seven years (1988-1995). Noel also worked as a Programme Manager with Cabinet Minister Pat Rabbitte in the Rainbow Government of the 1990s, and on secondment from INTO head office as a Project Manager with the second Public Service Benchmarking Body.
He will take on his new role in the New Year. Our congratulations to Noel on his election. It is worth noting that both Sheila Nunan, General Secretary and Noel Ward, Deputy General Secretary/Treasurer were both CEC Representatives of District 8. -
Clarification on Directive - Jan 27th 2010
Members will receive copies of the the directive issued by the CEC of the INTO with the Jan/Feb InTouch this week. This directive does not affect attendance at ILSA or IATSE conferences. Members attending courses or conferences organised by ILSA or IATSE do not require substitution
This directive can be downloaded from the
Members' Area of the INTO website and a clarification document in relation to the inservice directive has also been posted.This deals with a series of frequently asked questions particularly in the context of professional development programmes from a variety of agencies and services.
