Teachers paid up to €170,000 on retirement

Primary and secondary teachers last year received €172m in pension lump sums, with one retiring secondary school teacher getting a tax-free lump sum of over €170,000.

The department confirmed in response to a freedom of information request that €172.09m gross was paid out in retirement lump sums to 1,848 primary and secondary school teachers in 2012.

This follows the Department of Education paying out €181.99m to 1,868 teachers who retired in 2011.

The figures show that the 1,039 primary teachers who retired last year got an average of €93,965, with the 809 secondary teachers getting an average lump sum of €92,373.

One second-level teacher got €177,260, and one primary teacher got €161,060.

Five other primary teachers got over €150,000.

Five secondary teachers got between €160,000 and €170,000, with 12 getting €150,000 to €160,000.

* 63 secondary teachers got €120,000 to €150,000;

* 251 got between €100,000 and €120,000;

* 17 primary teachers got €140,000 to €150,000;

* 33 received between €130,000 and €140,000;

* 88 were paid between €120,000 and €130,000;

* 206 received between €110,000 and €120,000;

* 213 got between €100,000 and €110,000.

The figures show 28% of retirements at primary level last year were at principal level, with the principal retiring at 7.5% of all schools. Meanwhile 24% of retirees were at deputy principal level, 11% were assistant principals, and 22% were teachers with special duties.

At primary level, 25% of retirements last year were in Dublin, followed by Cork (9.7%), and Galway (6.5%).

At secondary school level, 6% of retirees were principals, affecting 8.4% of all schools. The largest proportion of retirees were assistant principals (57%).

About 14% of retiring primary teachers were aged 57, while 13% of secondary teachers were aged 59.

A spokesman for the Irish National Teachers Organisation questioned how a primary school teacher could draw down a lump sum over €150,000 as he said there are no primary school teachers receiving salaries exceeding €100,000 — there are 371 teachers at second-level in receipt of salaries above €100,000.

Responding to the INTO, a department spokeswoman said: “These lump sum payments were made to teachers who opted to retire prior to Feb 29, 2012... The small group referred to had a significant range of pensionable allowances, were at the top of the salary scale, and had maximum service [40 years].”