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Pensions: teachers and non-teaching staff
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The Department of Education administers pension schemes for:
- teaching staff (primary, secondary and community and comprehensive schools) and
- non-teaching staff (special needs assistants, certain clerical officers and certain caretakers in primary schools).
The department also has an advisory and regulatory role in relation to pension schemes in Education and Training Boards (ETBs), Institutes of Technology, Universities, Colleges of Education and certain education bodies.
Use the Pensions Modeller / Estimator to estimate your potential pension benefits.
Information and application forms for teachers and non-teaching staff planning to retire in 2024 is available here.
Working as a substitute while receiving a teacher's pension
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When a retired teacher returns to work in the public sector, their pension may become subject to abatement.
DPER Circular 24 2022 Guidance on the application of Abatement of Public Service Occupational Pensions
The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform has approved an extension to the limited waiver of abatement under Section 52 (4) of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions Act) 2012 subject to certain limited conditions. The extension has been granted for a 2 year period with effect from January 2024.
The abatement waiver applies to the first 50 days worked in any calendar year. For the purposes of this waiver any day in which a teacher works is counted as 1 day regardless of the number of hours worked.
Since retirees are moved to the first point of the pay scale upon returning to employment, the vast majority of retired teachers will not be subject to any abatement as a result of occasional substitute work.
Abatement becomes somewhat more likely for those retirees who have returned to work in a full-time capacity and/or have advanced several points up the pay scale. However even in these circumstances a large majority of retirees will not be subject to any abatement.
Please note that, in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post or in order to supervise the State Examinations, a teacher must maintain his/her registration with the Teaching Council. You can maintain your registration using the online portal on https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/
For further information regarding teacher registration, pay scales and terms and conditions of employment, which are available on the Department of Education website www.gov.ie/education
Access important information after retirement, including:
The pensions unit may be contacted by:
E-mail: pensions@education.gov.ie
All emails are acknowledged upon receipt and your query will be dealt with as soon as possible.
Phone line number
090 648-4189
Monday to Friday 2.30pm - 5.30pm
*NB – Please have your PPS number to hand before you call, to ensure your query can be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.
Address: Department of Education, Pensions Unit, Cornamaddy, Athlone, County Westmeath. N37 X659
Staff of ETBs, third level institutions and other bodies under the aegis of the department should contact the Pensions Administrators in their particular ETB/Institution/Body in the first instance