Up to 9,000 women primary teachers are expected to benefit from a revised spouses and children pension scheme agreed with the Department of Education, the INTO said yesterday.
Under the new pension scheme, all children of an INTO member will be covered, whereas in a previous scheme for primary teachers certain categories of dependants were excluded.
The general treasurer of the INTO, Mr John Carr, said the new scheme was a breakthrough for many women teachers. "The reality of modern life means that many women and their families need the scheme, reflecting a society very different from the Ireland of the 1960s."
The former scheme was offered to women in 1981 but an estimated 9,000 opted out. The Department refused to give those women teachers a chance to join since then.
The INTO has been trying to get the women into a revised scheme. One of the big benefits of the new scheme is that adopted children and step-children will be covered.
The Department is to publish details soon on how the new scheme will operate. The contributing conditions may be changed.