Teachers get £7,000 to move half a mile

April 1984

An attempt to block the payment of disturbance money to teachers who moved just half a mile from an old school to a new one failed at a meeting of Co. Wexford Vocational Education Committee on Monday.

Seven members objected to paying £265 each to teachers who moved that distance from the old vocational school in New Ross to the new one. The total amount involved topped £7,000.

They claimed it was ‘ridiculous’ to pay ‘disturbance’ money to teachers to move such a short way into a new school where facilities have all improved, particularly at a time of such cutbacks elsewhere in the education system.

However, nine members voted to pay the money to the teachers involved, and the Department circular authorising the payment was pssed.

Proposing they reject the move, Mr Sean O’Gorman said this would be a big waste of taxpayers’ money.

‘We wanted just £1,500 for new sports facilities in Kilmuckridge, and we could not get it. Now we are being asked to approve this. It is just not on,’ he said.

Seconding the call to reject the payment, Cllr. Frances Ryan said she was totally against the principle involved, and was afraid that paying the money would set a precedent if such a situation were to occur again.

Mr Hugh Byrne TD said he didn’t see it as a great inconvenience or ‘disturbance’ for teachers to be asked to work from a much better school premises. He was totally against the payment and thought the government was being taken as ‘a soft touch’ by the teachers’ unions.

Cllr Morgan Dunne asked could the teachers supply actual details of what ‘ hardships’ or ‘disturbance’ the move brought, while Cllr John Hosey said it was ‘absolutely ludicrous’ to pay them money to move such a short way.

Cllr John Roche appealed to members however to not start a confrontation with the Teachers Union of Ireland. He pointed out there have been several strikes in the education sector in recent times, and was fearful of another one.

He proposed that the money be paid, and his proposal was passed by nine votes to seven. Voting against were Hugh Byrne, John Hosey, John Murphy, Frances Ryan, Eddie Bennett, Morgan Dunne, and Sean O’Gorman.