AGREEMENT has been reached between the INTO and the Department of Education on the introduction of a welfare scheme for teachers. Despite the agreement, difficulties remain on the salary scale for those employed as Employee Assistance Officers.
According to the INTO general secretary, Senator Joe O'Toole, the union has agreed to co operate in implementing the scheme, after 18 months of "protracted negotiations" with the other teachers' unions and the Departments of Education and Finance.
The decision to introduce a welfare/employee assistance scheme for teachers follows the publication of a report by a working party on the establishment of a welfare service for teachers in 1995. This report recommended the initial appointment of 10 Employee Assistance Officers, assisting teachers in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, with further expansion planned.
Following a campaign by the three teachers' unions, the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach, announced the establishment of a pilot scheme for primary and second level teachers in 1996. At that time, the Minister said she hoped the scheme would be in place "very shortly".
Despite agreement on implementation, reached late last week, problems remain over the pay levels of Employee Assistance Officers, who assist teachers with social or personal problems. Senator O'Toole said.
There had been a "major difference" between the INTO and the Department of Education over the question of salaries.
The INTO is anxious that those appointed as EAOs should have a background in psychology, counselling and education and that they should be experienced teachers who are familiar with the difficulties encountered by those in the profession. For these reasons, the union was anxious that the EAOs should be serving teachers seconded to the scheme.
The Departments of Finance and Education have argued that other EAOs in the public service were appointed at the Higher Executive Officer salary scale and that teachers' EAOs should be appointed on the same scale: The maximum HEO salary point is only £22,945, lower than the teachers' salary scale, and this is a major problem in negotiations.
Senator O'Toole stressed that, while the union was co operating in implementing the scheme, it would begin immediately to "correct this anomaly" in the rates of pay.