New public servants not eligible for extra payments

Thousands of new entrants to the public service, most of them replacing those availing of early retirement pension arrangements, will not be eligible for extra allowances from today.

A review of the €2bn annual cost of overtime, allowances and premium payments was announced by the Public Reform and Expenditure Minister, Brendan Howlin, in the December budget.

But as the public service exodus gathers pace, any public servant not already getting such payments can not be paid them from today, pending the outcome of a review which aims to save €75m this year.

Education is likely to be hit hardest as most of the 1,000-plus teachers leaving schools this month can be replaced.

However, allowances for new principals and deputy principals will continue to be paid, and teachers who have already been paid by the department will still be eligible for a qualifications allowance, until after the review at least.

But the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said the loss of allowances will see new teachers earning almost 30% less than those who entered the profession two years ago. The TUI general secretary, John MacGabhann, said it was ironic when the training period for second-level teaching is being extended and most new teachers will struggle to get work.

Pat King, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland general secretary, said young teachers who find work in the coming weeks will not know what they will be paid beyond the review, and teachers would not apply for middle-management roles in schools if they are not going be paid for the additional work.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said notice of the changes was discriminatory against new teachers who have already taken severe pay cuts over and above more experienced colleagues.