THREE SENIOR Government ministers have kept their teaching positions in their former school open, with full pension rights, despite being full-time politicians for between 11 and 21 years.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, elected in 1987, Minister for Enterprise Micheál Martin, elected in 1992, and Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, elected in 1997, are among some 30 TDs who are on leave of absence from teaching or lecturing positions, or who have retired as teachers while serving as Oireachtas members.
Those who have retired have accrued their full pensionable service entitlement during their years as TDs or senators. Two leave-of-absence TDs in receipt of teaching pensions, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Fianna Fáil's Micheál Kitt, have not taught for 33 years. Like other long-serving Oireachtas members, they have accrued full pension rights in addition to being entitled to generous Dáil and ministerial pensions. The starting salary for a TD at present is circa €100,000.
All benefit from a long-standing arrangement for teachers who are TDs and senators. The scheme permits a replacement teacher to be employed, with the cost of the replacement's salary being deducted from the teacher's salary of the TD or senator. The member is entitled to the difference between both salaries, though most TDs do not claim it.
The most lucrative benefits for the politician is that the teaching job is kept open and that full pension entitlements continue to accrue, irrespective of how long the TD or senator has been absent from their school or college.
Ms Hanafin, one of the beneficiaries of the scheme, has said that she is not planning to review the scheme. However, the Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes yesterday called on the scheme to be reviewed. He said that he understood how people elected for the first time would wish to hold on to their jobs because of the precarious nature of politics. But he said that there should be a cut-off point where an Oireachtas member must be compelled to resign their teaching positions.
He suggested it should happen after a TD or senator had served two full terms. "There does come a point where the situation becomes ridiculous and where a deputy is continually returned and does not hand over their job. The whole system goes into disrepute. Holding the teaching job over for more than 10 years sends out the wrong signal."
Two Ministers of State, Tony Killeen (Clare) and Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North), have also retained their teaching positions.
In addition to Mr Kitt, three other Ministers of State now receive teaching or lecturing pensions in addition to their Dáil and ministerial salaries. They are Tom Kitt, Dublin South; Batt O'Keeffe, Cork North West; and Pat Carey, Dublin North West. Among other long-serving TDs who remain on secondment from their teaching posts are the former minister Frank Fahey; Brendan Howlin, Joe Costello, Róisín Shortall and Tommy Broughan from the Labour Party; Tony Gregory (Independent) and Fergus O'Dowd from Fine Gael. Former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan and the party's Donegal South West TD, Dinny McGinley, both in the Dáil for 26 years, have retired as teachers, on a reduced pension in Mr Noonan's case.
Only one TD has resigned a teaching position with no pension rights. That is Minister of State for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent (Green Party) who stood down from his national school position during his second Dáil term.
He said the school he taught in was small and would have suffered if the teacher replacing him only had temporary status.
There was strong support for the call by Mr Hayes for a cut-off point from teacher and lecturer TDs across all parties. They included Mr Carey, Mr Broughan, Finian McGrath (Independent), Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party), Joan Burton (Labour), Ulick Burke (Fine Gael), Mr Sargent, and Mr O'Keeffe. Ms Burton and Mr Cuffe both taught at the Dublin Institute of Technology and have not accrued any pensionable service during their time in the Dáil.
John Carr, the general secretary of the INTO, said the union fully supported leave of absence for teachers elected as public representatives.
"The opportunity to participate in public life is an essential part of democracy which must be open to all citizens," he said. "Few teachers could afford to take up office if their livelihoods were to be put at risk." However, he said the union would be willing to consider a limit to secondments and would, if called upon, enter into discussions with interested parties.
Senator Joe O'Toole, who was centrally involved in negotiating the current scheme in his capacity as then general secretary of the INTO, defended the principle of the scheme but did agree that there was an argument about a cut-off point. "I passionately believe that in the public and private sectors, the law and arrangement should actively encourage people to become involved with politics."
He said the situation had improved dramatically from the time where substitute teachers were used who had no permanence, no holiday rights, no increments and no pension rights, despite some holding the position for many years.
TDs with teaching connections
TDs officially on leave from teaching positions,
those who have teachers' pensions and those without pensions (total
number of years as Oireachtas member in brackets) :
Joe Behan, Wicklow (1 year): Primary school principal (on leave of absence) - small residual income may be due to him.
Áine Brady, Kildare North (1 year): on leave from job as primary school teacher (job-sharing).
Tommy Broughan, Dublin North East (16 years): secondary teacher on Oireachtas leave. St Aidan's CBS, Whitehall. No salary received.
Ulick Burke, Galway East (16 years): former second-level teacher - retired since 2003/2004. St Joseph's College, Ballinasloe. Teaching pension.
Joan Burton, Dublin West (11 years): lecturer DIT on unpaid leave of absence (no remuneration). No pension entitlement. Right to re-apply for position.
Pat Carey, Dublin North West (11 years): primary teacher up to September 2007. St Finian's School, Finglas. Teaching pension. Received small residue between his salary and temporary teacher's salary before retirement.
Margaret Conlon, Cavan-Monaghan (1 year): deputy principal, St Louis Secondary School, Monaghan - seconded by Department of Education since election to Dáil Éireann.
Joe Costello, Dublin Central (19 years): teaching, Department of Education, Marlborough Street. On secondment.
Ciarán Cuffe, Dún Laoghaire (6 years): on leave from college lecturer post, DIT, Bolton Street Dublin. Has tenure and entitled to position. No pension accrual during leave of absence.
Noel Dempsey, Meath West (21 years): teacher (career guidance). On leave.
Frank Fahey, Galway West (26 years): teacher on secondment from Gort Community School - no income received
Tony Gregory, Dublin Central (26 years): secondary school teacher, Coláiste Eoin, Bóthar Stigh Lorgan, Baile Átha Cliath.
Mary Hanafin, Dún Laoghaire (11 years): secondary school teacher, on leave of absence: No income received.
Máire Hoctor, Tipperary North (6 years): secondary school teacher, St Joseph's Secondary School, Nenagh. Not aware of any payment being made.
Brendan Howlin, Wexford (21 years): on leave as a member of Dáil Éireann from a position as a national school teacher. No income received.
Enda Kenny, Mayo (33 years): according to Fine Gael, resigned from his teaching post about four years ago. Spokesman said he is entitled to teaching pension based on contributions.
Tony Killeen, Clare (16 years): on Oireachtas leave from position as primary school principal.
Micheál Kitt, Galway East (33 years): teaching pension as a retired primary teacher, St Mary's National School, Menlough Ballinasloe.
Tom Kitt, Dublin South (21 years): teacher employing substitute teacher, Department of Education. Retired in August 2007. Receives teacher's pension.
Ciarán Lynch, Cork South Central (1 year): City of Cork VEC. Adult literacy organiser. One leave of absence since July 2007 following election and on leave without payment. Position about pension unclear at present, according to Mr Lynch.
Micheál Martin, Cork South Central (16 years): secondary school teacher. "Since my appointment as a Government Minister in 1997, I have not accepted any remuneration due to me under the leave of absence scheme for Oireachtas members."
Dinny McGinley, Donegal South West (26 years): retired primary school teacher. Bunbeg National School, Co Donegal. Teaching pension.
Finian McGrath, Dublin North Central (6 years): national teaching pension. "I retired from my teaching position."
Michael Noonan, Limerick East (27 years): reduced pension from Department of Education for service as teacher.
Fergus O'Dowd, Louth (11 years): teacher at Co Louth VEC. On leave of absence. According to Mr O'Dowd, he receives small residue. Not certain as to amount.
Batt O'Keeffe, Cork North West (21 years): lecturer Cork Institute of Technology. Pension retired. Says he retired circa 2002.
John O'Mahony, Mayo (1 year): teaching pension. Retired before getting elected to Dáil.
Trevor Sargent, Dublin North (16 years) - resigned from teaching post after first term in Dáil. No entitlement to job. No pension.
Brian O'Shea, Waterford (21 years): retired national teacher on pension.
Róisín Shortall, Dublin North West (16 years): primary school teacher on Oireachtas leave.
David Stanton, Cork East (6 years): teacher, Cork County VEC on leave.
