Agreed outcome in relation to the payment of the Professional Master of Education (PME)/Higher Diploma in Education Allowance (H.Dip in Ed) or an accepted equivalent qualification for teachers whose date of first qualified teaching service is between 5th December 2011 and 28th April 2013 and who were appointed to the existing pre-2011 pay scale.
TUI had campaigned on this issue for a considerable period of time and welcomes the circular letter's publication.
Circular 38/2023 issued today.
Eligible teachers are those that are appropriately qualified and registered Route 2 post primary teachers and Route 3 further education teachers, who:
a. Were first appointed to an Oireachtas funded teaching post before 1st January 2011 and
- Whose date of first qualified teaching service is between 5th December 2011 and 28th April 2013 and
- who were appointed to the existing pre-2011 pay scale and
- who hold a Professional Master of Education (PME) or equivalent and
- are not currently paid the PME/H.Dip in Ed Allowance as they were subject to the maximum value of the honours primary degree allowance.
OR
b. Were first appointed between 1st January 2011 and 31st January 2012 and
- Whose date of first qualified teaching service is between 5th December 2011 and 28th April 2013 and
- who were appointed to the existing pre-2011 pay scale scale due to having previous unqualified teaching service and
- who hold a Professional Master of Education (PME) or equivalent and
- are not currently paid the PME/H.Dip in Ed Allowance as they were subject to the maximum value of the honours primary degree allowance.
This circular applies to eligible teachers teaching in post primary schools or in other approved settings including Further Education settings (VTOS, BTEI, PLC etc), Centres of Education and Special Schools with a Post Primary component and who are currently paid on the pre-2011 pay scale.
Application
Teachers must apply for this allowance using the form attached to the circular letter.
The closing date for receipt of applications for qualification allowances will be 29th March 2024. Any late application received by the Department/ETB after 29th March 2024 will not be processed and will be returned to the sender. There will be no exceptions to this provision.