The Department of Education will begin to pay teachers and other staff the salary increases set out in the recently agreed public sector pay agreement this week.
The agreement provides for a pay increase of 3 per cent from February 2nd of this year and an increase of 1 per cent or €500, whichever is greater from October 1st. Significant sums in in back money are also to be included in the pay packets of staff this month, the department has said.
“Pay increases have now been applied for teaching and non-teaching staff, including retired staff, who are paid via the Department of Education payroll,” a department spokesperson told The Irish Times. “This includes payment to current and former school staff who work in primary, voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools.
We plan to pay all staff what is due as quickly as possible, and apologise for any delay
“Payment for Department of Education payroll staff is made on a fortnightly basis, on alternative pay weeks. The increases, including arrears, will be paid at the next available pay date in November, which for post-primary school staff is November 17th, 2022, and for primary school, non-teaching staff members and retired personnel it is November 24th, 2022.
“Where payment increases are also due to be paid, for additional or supplementary programmes, such as the Summer Education Programme and Post- Primary Temporary Covid Scheme which took place during the relevant period, such payment of arrears will be provided for at the earliest possible opportunity in the New Year.
“For staff who are paid by Education Shared Business Service (ESBS) Payroll, such ETB staff will receive the new pay increases, and the retrospective payments at the next available pay dates in November/December, depending on whether the staff are paid fortnightly, monthly, or part time monthly.”
The HSE has said it will advise its staff, including thousands of frontline health workers, of its intended timeframe for the adjustments to salary levels and payment of arrears “shortly”.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation had last week criticised the lack of any firm information with regard to when its members would receive the money.
Asked about the situation subsequently, the HSE said it is “currently working to apply pay increases agreed recently. Different increases were agreed for a variety of grades, so the number of different arrangements means that it will take time to complete the process. We plan to pay all staff what is due as quickly as possible and apologise for any delay.”
Asked specifically whether it staff would get the money before or in their December pay packets, the HSE said: “We expect to be able to inform our staff of the position shortly.”
