Working as a Substitute/Fixed Term Teacher after retirement

Retired teachers may be employed as substitute teachers where no qualified serving teachers are available to a school. The position is outlined in DES Circular 31/2011:

“The purpose of this circular is to ensure, as far as practicable, that people appointed to teach are registered teachers with qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed and that unemployed teachers are offered employment in preference to those who have retired. It is applicable to all appointments made on or after 1 September 2011.”

The circular outlines various steps a principal must take in while attempting to appoint a serving unemployed teacher, if possible and then states that:

“Where all efforts to secure an appropriately qualified registered teacher who is not retired fail, the school may employ a retired appropriately qualified registered teacher.”

It is clear therefore, that retired fully qualified primary teachers are the first option should a primary school not succeed in appointing an unemployed serving teacher. This is emphasised in Circular 44/2019, which states: “The resource provided to schools by retired teachers is critical given the challenge some schools are currently facing to recruit.” This Circular introduces a requirement on employers to maintain a list of retired teachers in their area who are available for substitute work when no serving qualified teacher is available.

Requirements for Employment as a Substitute Teacher after retirement:

1. A Retired Teacher must be registered with the Teaching Council. This means that any retired teacher contemplating working as a teacher again must maintain their registration with the Teaching Council.
2. Under the provisions of the Vetting Act, which came into effect on 29 April 2014, they must be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. Responsibility to ensure they are vetted before being offered a position is the responsibility of the employer, not the teacher. Any school employing an non vetted teacher is now in breach of the criminal law. Details of how teachers may apply for vetting are available on the Teaching Council Website at https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Vetting
3. They must complete a Declaration under the Single Scheme Act when returning to employment in a school. This declaration can be found on pages 7 & 8 of the Primary Teachers Appointment Form. The declaration must be made on first employment in each school year.” 

Categories of non-permanent work which may be undertaken by a retired teacher:

A retired teacher may work as a short-term (Casual) substitute, a long-term (Non casual) substitute or as a fixed-term teacher.

Please note that rates of pay for non-casual substitutes are set at a daily rate which is based on the first point of the January 2011 scale. As a result of increases secured by the INTO under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, this scale has been increased by the addition of the equivalent of an honours primary degree allowance, together with the incorporation of the old supervision payment into the pay scale.

Rates of pay as are follows:

• Casual (short term) substitute: Since 1 October 2023, the casual daily rate is €213.46 per day, plus €26.38 holiday pay (paid later), making a total of €239.84.
• Non Casual (long-term) substitute (over 40 days) the daily rate is calculated by dividing the teacher’s annual salary equivalent by 182. Note that at present, retired teachers are regarded as new entrants and are paid at the first point of the January 2011 scale. Since 1 October 2023, this is €41,385.
• Thus, a retired teacher’s non-casual daily rate will be  €41,385/182 = €227.39. Since 11% of this is holiday pay, €201.38 will be paid immediately and the remaining €25.01 will be paid later as holiday pay.
• Fixed Term Contract: Retired teachers undertaking a fixed term contract are regarded as new entrants and their pay scale is based on the first point of the January 2011 scale, which has been increased by the incorporation of the equivalent of the honours primary degree allowance plus the equivalent of the supervision allowance.