Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to revise the On-Line Claim System recording system so as to differentiate leave due to an assault from regular sick leave so that any changing trends may be monitored adequately; and if she will make a statement on the matter?

Reply

The current sick leave scheme for teachers provides for sick leave to be granted to a teacher who is unable to perform his/her duties because of illness or injury. The terms of the sick leave scheme are contained in my Department’s Circular 0053/2015 Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

Circular Letters 40/97 and M18/99 outline the policy to be adopted in schools where incidents of assaults on teachers occur. These Circulars on assaults are currently being reviewed by my Department under the auspices of the Teachers’ Conciliation Council (TCC) . The TCC is part of the scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers, the purpose of which is to provide a means of dealing with claims and proposals relating to the salaries and terms and conditions of teachers. The Council is composed of representatives of the teacher representative bodies, school management, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is chaired by an official of the Labour Relations Commission. The role of the On-Line Claims recording system will be considered as part of this review.