It's time for primary and post primary teachers who want to avail of a Department of Education extension to the Early Retirement Scheme to get cracking with their applications. The Department is likely to expect to have the applications quite soon - possibly by Friday, October 3rd.

The three teacher unions campaigned during the summer to get an extension to the application deadline for the current year. This has now been achieved and "it means that teachers will have a second opportunity to apply for early retirement before the end of the year", an ASTI spokesman pointed out.

"Let the word go out, the option for early retirement is still available," says Alice Prendergast, president of the TUI. "Now that we have won an extension, teachers can review the options and apply and be processed before the end of the calendar year."

The agreed annual quota is 400. However, due to the late arrival of the Department's circular at the end of the last school year, many teachers did not have adequate time to consider their options. To date 62 applications have been received by the Department from the primary school sector and 123 teachers in second-level schools have applied.

For information call the Department of Education - in Athlone - at (0902) 74621 or in Dublin at (01) 873 4700.