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.