12th December 2018
INTO has secured restoration of the provisions which had previously been in place for teachers who volunteer for search and rescue work with accredited organisations.
This leave, and in particular the associated substitute cover when a person is absent from school as part of a search and rescue mission, had been lost during curtailment of substitute cover. Following a meeting in the DES this week, INTO now has confirmation that the leave, with substitute cover, is restored and a notice will be issued to give effect to this.
While this restoration affects only a small number of members and such missions are thankfully infrequent, it is of critical importance as the rescue services are of enormous value to local communities and the wider public. INTO has been working for some time on this and on other aspects of restoration of conditions.