As provided in the S&S Circular, the DES has issued the following instruction to management bodies this week:
“As you are aware, under the terms of Circular 0047/2017, eligible teachers were offered the opportunity to opt-out from compulsory participation in the S&S scheme. In order for the opt-out to take effect from 1 September 2017, teachers who wished to avail of the opt-out had to submit an application to the Principal of their school prior to Friday 11 August 2017. It was agreed that where an eligible teacher was not in a position to avail of the option during the summer, a review could take place in September in respect of a further opt-out opportunity during the school year.
In that context, where an eligible teacher can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department that because of their particular circumstances they were not in a position to avail of the opt-out option prior to 11 August 2017, an opt-out application from such a teacher will now be considered, provided that such application is received by the Department on or before Friday 29 September. As the original effective date of 1 September 2017 has now passed and in order to allow schools to make the appropriate operational arrangements, where such applications are approved the opt-out and associated salary reduction will be effective from Monday 6 November 2017.”