Circular Issues Outlining Increment Skips for Post-2010 Entrants

As per Circular 22/2019 (pdf) issued by the Department of Education and Skills today, post-2010 entrants to teaching will see the implementation of faster scale progress reflected in their pay as their increment dates are reached. This represents significant progress towards pay equality and INTO is pursuing the remaining steps required for the early cohorts of entrants.

Increment skips mean that post-2010 entrants will see increments 4 and 8 removed from their scale so that on reaching these points they will skip to the next highest salary point. Those who have already passed points 4 and/or 8 will have an additional skip or skips in order to recognise this.

Implementation from 1 March 2019
The implementation from 1 March ensures that all post-2010 entrants benefit at their next increment date, 1 March 2019 being the earliest date that a September 2011 entrant with full service meets point 8 of the scale (as entrants in 2011 to 2013 inclusive generally had two three-month increment freezes under FEMPI legislation).

For post-2010 entrants with the earliest incremental date (1 March), the full effect of the skip should be visible in the payment of 21 March. Otherwise, teachers concerned will have the uplift reflected once their incremental date is reached.

Those currently on points 1 or 2 of the salary scale will receive their normal increment on their next increment date. Those on scale points 3, 4 or 5 will receive two increments on their next increment date, while those on scale point 6 or above will receive three increments on their next increment date.

Examples of the increment skips below are based on a teacher with continuous, or near continuous, service. All post-2010 entrants will skip points 4 and 8; a teacher’s service determines when he or she arrives at a skip point.

Examples:

  • A 2011 entrant on reaching point 8 skips from point 7 (currently €44,162) to point 10 (€49,118).
  • A 2012 entrant on reaching point 7 skips from their current point 6 (€42,684) to point 9 (€46,896).
  • A 2013 entrant on reaching point 6 skips from their current point 5 (€41,366) to point 7 (€44,162).
  • A 2014 entrant on reaching point 6 (later this year at the earliest as this teacher had one three-month increment freeze under FEMPI) skips from 5 to point 7 (currently €41,366 to €44,935, post September 2019 PSSA uplift).
  • A 2015 entrant, on reaching point 5, skips from their current point 4 to point 6 (€40,276 to €43,431).
  • A 2016 entrant on reaching point 4, skips from their current point 3 to point 5 (€39,501 to €42,090).
  • Entrants from 2013 to 2016 will also skip point 8, when reached.
  • Entrants in 2017 and 2018 will skip scale points 4 and 8 on reaching these points.

The salary improvements above are additional to uplifts due under the PSSA Agreement and are payable to public servants covered by that Agreement. Those who entered teaching after 1 September 2013 also see a significant reduction in their overall pension contributions this year on the switch from PRD (pension levy) to ASC for members of the (career average) Public Service Single Pension Scheme.