November 27th Was this the first snowfall of winter? A little snow doesn’t deter RTAI walkers! A brave cohort still sallied forth, braving the cold and the elements! Beautiful day at Powerscourt with 12 other hardy walkers. John Tuohy, with a snow covered Maulin in the background. The Waterfall in full spate behind Nuala and Deirdre. I am indebted to Deirdre McLoughlin for the photos below.
It’s hard to think that another year has come and gone, but alas, it has and here we are another year older, although this writer must confess to not being any wiser! In any case Season’s Greetings to all members and I hope that you are all in rude health and like me, looking forward to a New Year and a new Government!
All the “old reliables” duly performed at the Drop In. Everyone joined in with gusto on all the carol singing. John did his thing with the Saw; Joe was an avuncular Master of Ceremonies, the Wexford Carol was sung sweetly and the session was rounded off with a resounding rendition of the Fairy Tale of New York by Eoin. Cór Cnoc Liamhna, the Irish choir sang a carol but unfortunately time did not allow for additional singing from the choir. The choir is in urgent need of male voices! If you are a baritone, a tenor or indeed can string a few vocal chords together, the choir wants to hear from you! Joe or Una Johnston are at the end of a phone to take your details!
A huge thank you Branch Committee for their hard work in rolling out the Drop In’s for the year. Our thanks too the the staff of BYCC for their hard work in assisting us and in particular their hard work in providing the sandwiches and mince pies and tea/coffee so expeditiously today to such a large crowd. A personal word of thanks to the electrics man who ensured that the overhead projector worked seamlessly with my laptop.
Finally, a word of warning to those members who absconded with two mince pies! We are examining CCTV footage to catch those pesky rascals who helped themselves to my mince pie and the mince pies of many others. The “heavy gang” will be paying you a visit before Christmas! Next year, committee, more mince pies and less sandwiches, please!
I am also appealing to members who have something to contribute to the blog to please send me their articles. I will use the mailing system to inform you how you can do that. Merry Christmas!
The AGM was held in Club na Múinteoirí on Wednesday November 27th. There was a record attendance of 120, in spite of the cold weather. The proceedings, as usual, began with Aifreann na Marbh and the celebrant was the avuncular Mon Dan O’Connor, Indeed, a highlight of the proceedings were the jokes and homily delivered by Fr Dan.
We were very pleased to have as a guest speaker, President Of RTAI, Charlotte Maye. Charlotte told us that she started her teaching career in Taney NS, Dundrum. So had she continued her teaching career in Dublin, Charlotte would have become a member of Dublin South RTAI!
The business side of the meeting was efficiently carried out by the Secretary, Deirdre Lohan and Cathaoirleach Maura Roberts. The treasurer, Mary O’Connor explained the accounts and these were adopted.
Connie Steele has decided to step down as Leas Cisteoir. Connie is continuing on Committee where she does fantastic work on organising golf lessons for members.
An unfailing and most popular part of the proceedings is the “draw” at the end of the meeting where a number of lucky members are drawn at random to receive a token. Here we have some of the lucky recipients this year.
As usual Anne Kitterick accompanied the singing during the Mass. We are ever grateful to Anne who never lets us down and comes out in all weathers to be present.
Peigí Ó Ruairc once again volunteered as a Minister of the Eucharist in the distribution of communion
Finally Matt Reville gave a short presentation on our website. He said that only 500 of a possible 1200 members have registered to receive the blog. He appealed for contributions form both members and from branch committee. A query was raised by a member as to the possibility of establishing a Facebook Page for the branch. Matt indicated that such a page would present a major headache to monitor. It would be open to any member of the public to access, and inevitably it would be subject to attacks by trolls, causing much hurt to our profession. The blog on the other hand is only available to members. The moderator can filter out bogus requests for membership, and each post is instantly transferred to a member’s inbox. Once you register to receive you don’t have to access the blog again. Each new post will be sent directly to your inbox.
Matt appealed to members to send him submissions. So many of our members are involved with voluntary organisations, writing poetry and fiction etc. Please send your finished products to us and we will publish Matt appealed for a mix of contributions, to include both print and visual items.
The annual walk on Sliabh Bloom took place yesterday in glorious sunshine. Once again, many thanks to Carmel and Matt Dempsey for their amazing hospitality and generosity. Thanks also to the members who provided such great entertainment. It was a truly fantastic day.
The branch organises many monthly activities for members. The most popular are our walks, cycles, Pilates, book clubs and the monthly “Drop In”
There are two walks and two cycles organised each month. If you would like to participate, please get in touch with our Secretary, Deirdre Lohan, for more information .The Drop In, in the Ballyroan Youth and Community Centre, takes place on the first Wednesday of the month and all are welcome to drop in for a cuppa and a chat. There are occasional guest speakers or activities organised for the Drop In and these are well flagged through an email to members.
Here we have a picture taken from the Bluebell walk, a short while ago. We must say a word of thanks to our teams of voluntary leaders for the walks and cycle trips, without whom we simply couldn’t function
Unfortunately, we have all reached that stage in life where we can no longer be assured of either health, wealth or happiness! It is important to be aware of what you need to do in the event of the death of a loved one, especially in the case of a retired teacher. I have taken the following information from the RTAI website for your information.
Procedures to be Adopted on the Death of a Retired Teacher.
Any pension cheque for the deceased which arrives after the death must be returned to the Department for re-calculation. Pension which has been paid directly into a bank account will be recouped by the Department themselves and again will be re-calculated up to the date of death.
When writing to the Department, always quote the payroll number of the deceased. This can be found in the centre quite near the top of the pension payslip (7 digits or 6 digits and X or Y) e.g.: 1234567 or 123456Y.
2) Social Welfare Widow’s/Widower’s Contributory Pension.
All surviving spouses (men and women) are entitled to a Contributory Social Welfare Widow’s/Widower’s/Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension on the death of their spouse/partner. They may also be entitled to other benefits – living alone allowance and free schemes (Free Electricity Allowance, TV Licence) – depending on age. Explanatory fact sheet 5/49 and application form SCPI are available from all Social Welfare Offices or from the internet.
Forms for application for this pension may be downloaded from the internet – Social Welfare – Contributory Pension or from any Social Welfare Office or any Citizens’ Information Bureau Office.
Please note that an individual is entitled to one Social Welfare Pension only. Surviving spouses will not get an Old Age Pension (if applicable) as well as a Widow’s/Widower’s Pension. They will get the higher of the two.
3) Bereavement Grant.
Some confusion may arise over the Social Welfare Bereavement Grant. Please note that this grant ceased with effect from 1st January 2014. The grant therefore applies only in cases of death before this date. No Social Welfare grant is available for deaths after this date.
4 )Voluntary Health Insurance/LAYA/Healthcare /Aviva
Inform V.H.I., LAYA HEALTHCARE, AVIVA or IrishLife Health of the death in order to ensure continuing cover for surviving spouse/family members. Quote reference number.
This should be done as soon as possible after the death by telephone call and followed by a letter.
5) Income Tax.
It is important to inform the Revenue authorities of the death.
Quote the PPS number (tax number).
Write to the regional tax office of the deceased – address on all recent Tax Credit Certificates.
Send a death certificate and ask for a review of the taxation. A rebate may be due and it is also important to have the surviving spouse’s own taxation position put in order as soon as possible.
6) Credit Union Insurance.
If the deceased had been a member of a Credit Union(s) some insurances may apply. This will depend on the shares the member maintained up to and after age 55 and the age at death. Extra insurance will apply if the particular Credit Union held membership of a special Death Benefit Insurance scheme. Contact the relevant Credit Union(s). A death certificate will be required.
7) Probate of Will.
Have probate properly executed for the Will of the deceased or arrange Letters of Administration. This matter is usually handled by a Solicitor or other individual familiar with the procedure.
MPORTANT NOTES ON 1 AND 2 THE ABOVE:
* The Spouses’ and Orphans’ Pension scheme was introduced for men in 1969. It was optional for male teachers already in the service at that time but became compulsory for those joining the service thereafter. The surviving widows of those retired male teachers who were in the scheme will be entitled to a Department of Education Spouse’s Pension i.e. half of the late retired teacher’s pension as well as the Social Welfare pension referred to at 2 above.
* A similar scheme was introduced for women teachers in 1981. Again, it was optional for those already teaching but became compulsory for those entering the service after that date. The surviving spouses of those who opted to join the scheme will be eligible for both these pensions as well. Spouses of those who did not opt to join the scheme in 1981 will not be eligible for the D.E.S. pension but will be eligible for the Social Welfare Pension at 2 above.
General Secretary, RTAI, Vere Foster House, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin, 1.
Email: info@rtaireland.ie
The Teachers’ Golfing Society was set up in the Teachers’ Club in May 1924. This is their Centenary year, and this is a brief history of the society. A group of 24 members, ladies and gentlemen were enrolled in 1924 and immediately set off on their well organised outings. The ladies left the Society in 1930 but were welcomed back in 2007 adding new life and energy to the group.
Transport to the various golf courses in the early days was a problem. Bus and train were the main vehicles.
Starting times for golf games were governed by the rail and bus timetable. Those early Outings seemed exciting with lunch, tea and a singsong backing up the golf game.
Like everyone else, their ordinary lives were affected by the political and financial upheavals at home and abroad, such as The Wall St. crash 1929, The Economic War between Britain and Ireland and a 10% cut in Teachers’ salaries in 1933. Pay was poor enough before the cut, starting from about £145 per annum for women and single men up to about £350 for married men. Also, a marriage ban in 1932 required female primary school teachers to resign on marriage.
Despite these setbacks our brave golfers battled on through World War 2 and only 1943 has no record of golf activity. 1946 was also void because of the Teachers’ Strike.
Life eased a little in the ’50’s and ’60’s and with private transport on the increase the golfers were able to play in places as far away as Tullamore or Ballinter Park (now Royal Tara).
An annual Christmas Dinner was held at the Howth Outing on the 1st of November. This practice started in 1938 and continued for over 50 years.
The Golden Jubilee 1974 was the greatest of these. The 100 guests mingled with Dick Burke, Minister for Ed., Padraig Breathnach Sec. Dept. Ed., Jackie Brosnahan, (I.N.T.O.), Pres. Gillie Greene (Father of the Society) and others too numerous to mention.
The traditional local outings continued with golf trips to Spain, Portugal, Morocco and U.S.A. adding an extra dimension. Who in 1924 would have thought of flying to America to play golf? Our next century will end 2124. Maybe we will have an outing to Mars!
As this is our Centenary Year, Captain Sean Smyth wants especially to invite retired members to rejoin the society and to take part in and to enjoy all the centenary celebrations that are planned for the year.
We would also welcome new members to join us in this centenary year. Prospective new and returning members are asked to contact the Secretary by email at teachersgolfingsociety@gmail.com or by text to 087 936 7521.
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.
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.
| Point 1 of the Jan 2011 Scale | |
| Effective 1 October 2023 | €41,385 |
The Household Benefits package is a package of 2 allowances which help with the running of a household. The package is available to everyone over age 70 (and to people under age 70 in certain circumstances)though only one person in a household can qualify at any time. TheHousehold Benefits package is not linked to a State Pension and is not means tested.
There are two allowances in the Household Benefits Package:
Allowance 1: Electricity: This allowance is worth €35 per month. For customers of Bord Gáis Energy/ Electric Ireland the allowance can be paid directly to the energy provider to offset against the next bill. Alternatively, the allowance can be paid in cash to a bank/post office account.
or Natural Gas: This allowance is worth €35 per month. This allowance can be paid directly to the natural gas supplier to offset against the next bill. Alternatively,the allowance can be paid in cash to a bank/post office account.
Allowance 2: Free Television Allowance: Application forms for theHousehold Benefits Package [FORM HB 1] are available from a local Intreo Centre/social welfare office or can be downloaded from www.welfare.ie You must indicate on the form whether you are applying for Electricity or Gas and whether you are opting for payment to the supplier or a transfer to your bank/post office account. The same application form also includes the application for the free TV licence. Completed application forms must be returned to Social Welfare Services, College Road, Sligo.
Note: This article summarises the key features of the scheme and the Department of Social Welfare website should be consulted for full details.
Living Alone Allowance: The living alone allowance is an extra payment for people aged 66 or over in receipt of a social welfare payment (such as State Pension/Widow’s/ Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s [Contributory] Pension) who are living alone. This allowance will add an additional €19 (Budget 2021) to the main pension payment. Further information about this allowance may be accessed HERE Application forms for the Living Alone Increase [FORM LA 1] are available from a local Intreo Centre/social welfare office or can be downloaded from www.welfare.ie
Dublin South RTA 