Teachers who are paid incremental salary by the Department of Education may apply for incremental credit for previous employment. Incremental credit may be awarded to qualified primary teachers in recognition of relevant teaching and non-teaching service for the purpose of progression on the incremental salary scale.
Refer to DES Circular 10/01: Amendments to the Scheme for the Award of Incremental Credit which contains the eligibility criteria for application under each of the following heading:
- Common Basic Scale
- Increments for Length of Training
- Post Primary Qualified Teacher with Post Graduate Qualification working at Primary Level
- Teaching service given outside the Republic of Ireland
- Substitute teaching service within the Republic of Ireland
- Approved substitute teaching service in primary schools within the State replacing a teacher on study leave under Rule 116
- Relevant non-teaching experience in the Republic of Ireland
- Service given in private schools
- Teaching service in 3rd level institutions
- Application Forms
Verification of service
To apply for incremental credit, a person must obtain verification of service from the relevant employer and submit a copy of the application form contained in Circular 0010/2001 to the Incremental Credit section of the DE for assessment. In the event that an application for relevant non-teaching experience is refused after being assessed by the DES, there is an appeals mechanism that can be availed of.
To be eligible for Incremental Credit purposes, the service in question must be capable of being verified. Every effort must be made by an applicant to obtain certification of service. Where it is not possible to verify the previous service (teaching or non-teaching) arising from the loss/non-availability of official records e.g. through school amalgamation, school / employer closure etc. other records may be considered to make service reckonable for Incremental Credit.
These sources may include a combination of multiple records from:
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- The school authority and/or the patron Body of the school or other management body of the school if outside the jurisdiction.
- The school which replaced the school where the service was given as in the case of an amalgamation.
- The former Principal/Deputy Principal or a former colleague.
- Any other known source such as the local Revenue Office or Department of Social Protection (or equivalent from outside the jurisdiction).
Examples of such may include, though not limited to:
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- Past payslips / P.60 Records (or equivalent).
- Revenue records including PAYE/PRSI records (or equivalent).
- Previous references that the teacher may have received from the employer.
- Confirmation of employment from a colleague who they would have worked with at that time. In such instances, an appropriately completely Affidavit from the relevant colleague will be required.
Any of the above information supplied must also be supplemented by an appropriately signed Affidavit by the claimant of Incremental Credit. The Witness to the signatory must be a Commissioner for Oaths or a practising solicitor. The blank Affidavit is available here. Signatures from members of the Garda Síochána are not accepted. Where the service was provided in lieu of an absent existing teacher, the name of the teacher who was absent (if known) and the reason for the absence should be stated. The reason as to why these employment records are not available must be stated by the applicant and verified.
It is then a matter for the DE to determine if the information contained in addition to the affidavit can be accepted as reckonable for incremental service.
Appeals
Qualified primary and post-primary teachers may appeal a decision to limit or refuse a claim of incremental credit for relevant non-teaching service to an independent appeals committee. The appeal application must be made in writing to:
Department of Education, Incremental Credit Unit, Teacher Special Needs Assistants Terms and Conditions, Athlone, County Westmeath, N37 X659.
