Part-time teachers deal to cost taxpayer €30m a year

THE Government is facing an extra €30 million annual wage bill arising from a deal to pay higher rates to part-time teachers.

The increase comes on top of the €276m extra in salaries due to teachers when the benchmarking pay rises are fully implemented from 2005.

It is the result of an agreement almost finalised between teacher unions and the Department of Education to meet the requirements of legislation guaranteeing pro-rata payments for part-time work.