IPPN

Published: 29 October 2008

Source : Irish Independent

By Aine Kerr Political Correspondent

Wednesday October 29 2008

PROTESTING teachers earning over €50,000 will be told this evening to accept a short-term pay freeze in a bid to create savings of €128m and reverse some of the harshest education cuts.

Fine Gael's call on all public servants, including teachers, to go without their 3.5pc increase next September was deemed a "hard-sell" by the party's education spokesman Brian Hayes last night.

But he insisted that in order to maintain class sizes and reverse the substitution cutbacks, savings had to be found elsewhere.

The pay freeze proposal, which has already been dismissed by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, could generate a negative reaction from the thousands of teachers expected to converge on the Dail this evening if Mr Hayes follows through on his pledge to outline his tough stance.

"There is an issue of credibility here. The Opposition have got to come up with a means of making savings and what we're saying is that we're prioritising the front line, we don't want to see a rise in class sizes," he said.

"The way you do that is to say difficult things to the public sector, to people earning over €50,000. It's only going to be for a year, year-and-a-half that they wouldn't receive the 3.5pc. I've no problem in saying that. There's colossal savings we can make within the department but there's difficult medicine to be taken on the salary side."

Asked if he would actually stand by this proposal in the face of thousands of protesting teachers outside the Dail this evening, Mr Hayes said he would explain the proposal, if given the opportunity.

"People know our position and they're not too happy about it I suspect," he said.

"But the great majority of teachers I speak to want to keep the pressure on class size. They recognise that in mixed ability classrooms now -- often with children with educational difficulties -- you've got to keep classes as low as possible. And I think people will ultimately make a sacrifice."

Following the protests of 25,000 senior citizens and students last week, Mr Hayes predicted that an "extraordinary number" of students, teachers and parents would mount a protest during the Labour Party's motion on class sizes.

"Parents are genuinely up in arms over this particular issue, not just on the loss of teachers but the radical reduction in English language teachers," he said.

With the Green Party playing for time yesterday and pledging support to their coalition partners on the education cuts, Mr Hayes claimed the Green's education spokesman Paul Gogarty was "all over the place" with his proposals.

"He hasn't put forward cogent savings that can take place in education. We have. We've said hard things to every public servant earning over €50,000," he said.

Credibility

"We are suggesting they wouldn't get their 3.5pc pay rise next September. That's going to be difficult to sell. We know that but at least we are credible in what we said in advance of the Budget."

Last week, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Dail that other education savings should be found, including in salaries.

"A pay freeze on those earning above €50,000 within the teaching sector would save in the region of €128 million, thereby allowing the continuation of the current pupil-teacher ratio, the appointment of language support teachers and resource teachers, cover for sick leave and the visits to Dail Eireann and the sporting activities which are so important to the lives of children all over the country," Mr Kenny said.