Private firm linked to fall in disability pay-outs for teachers [Independent.ie]
- Published: 24 August 2010
THE number of primary teachers being granted early retirement due to ill health has fallen sharply since a private medical company was hired to do the assessments.
Medmark, which is partly run by a brother of Green Party minister Eamon Ryan, was awarded the €700,000-plus contract to carry out all teacher health assessments in 2008.
Previously, the work was carried out by the Department of Education's chief medical officer.
The number of primary teachers granted early retirement on ill-health grounds dropped from a high of 56 in 2006 to just 32 last year, figures obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act reveal. The average age of the teachers is 53.
In 2004, the number of teachers retiring early on disability grounds was 46, in 2005 it was 52 and in 2007 it was 38.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
