€230m in savings from reduced pay for new teachers

The Department of Education has saved close to €230m since 2011 by putting new entrants to teaching on lower pay than their colleagues.

Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner also reveal that it would add nearly €80m to Education Minister Richard Bruton’s budget to put all those who began their teaching careers since 2011 back on equal pay.

The department said the total cumulative savings made through the reduced pay rates from 2011, and changes to allowances made in 2012, have been around €230m. The figure covers the period up to the middle of 2017, and includes all employees in the education and training sector. The majority of those are teaching staff.