Teachers wait for thousands owed in back pay

Hundreds of teachers will have to wait until next month before receiving thousands of euro owed in back pay because of Department of Education problems with its payroll system.

The backlog that has built up since September relates to the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of teachers whose first paid school work came after changes to rates for new entrants last year. They have been left short as much as €50 a day because the department has not yet figured out the correct salary or substitution rates that they should be paid.

Many at second level will have completed a full school year on the wrong rate by the time the payroll system has put them on the correct salary, or on the right hourly or daily rate for substitution and other casual work.