Other Leave Entitlements
Last updated: Wed, Sep 11th, 2019 11:48:29 am
The annual school year consists of a minimum of 167 school days. The annual leave of teachers is established with reference to this requirement. The standardised school year for the years: 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 are set out in DES CL 0009/2017
A Chart containing a full list of Teachers Leave entitlements and a summary of essential conditions is attached.
Other Leave entitlements which are not included in the Web Book for Teachers include:
Force Majeure Leave
Provision is made for Force Majeure Leave for teachers in CL PPT 17/99 as amended by CL 19/00. Force Majeure leave is paid and is separate from Parental Leave. It is limited to a maximum of three days in each twelve months or five days in each thirty-six months period. This leave covers situations where, for urgent family reasons, owing to an injury to or an illness of a close family member (child or adoptive child, spouse or a person to whom the employee is living as husband or wife, a person to whom the employee is in loco parentis, brother or sister, parent or grand-parent), the immediate presence of the employee is indispensably required.
The total number of days taken for Force Majeure and Personal Leave may not exceed 5 days in any one year.
Special Paid Leave (for illness of a family member or bereavement leave)
Five days in the case of a spouse, child or parent and 3 days in the case of a brother, sister, grand-parent, aunt, uncle or parent-in-law may be granted to a teacher on the occasion of serious illness or death of an immediate relative. See DES CL 19/00
Substitution for the above leave will be paid the Department of Education and Skills.
Personal Leave for Teachers
A Board of Management may grant special personal leave to a teacher. Written application for such leave must be made to the Board of Management which may not exceed five school days in any one academic year.
Substitution in respect of personal leave must be without cost to the Department of Education and Skills. The general practice followed in respect of such leave is that the substitution is arranged in advance by the teacher who is going on leave. The approval of the Principal for the intended substitute should be obtained before arrangements are finalised. If the teacher is time-tabled for Supervision on this date, arrangements must be made by the teacher to cover this period also.
Secondment
Secondment provides a process for an external organisation to meet a short term specialised human resource requirement, where that need cannot be effectively met through the normal appointment process.
This scheme is designed to facilitate the temporary assignment of a teacher to a vacant position in an external organisation where the work to be carried out by the seconded teacher is of clear benefit to the educational system and/or is in the public interest.
School authorities should frame a policy position on secondment applications within which precedence is given to the welfare and educational needs of pupils over all other considerations.
Leave related to public services
Leave may be granted in the following situation and a substitute teacher may be employed to cover the absence of the teacher (See Section 4.9).
Membership of the Teaching Council. Leave may be granted to attend meetings where a teacher is a member of the Teaching Council
Membership of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
Membership of course committees established by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (documentary evidence required)
Conduct of State Examination Commission oral and practical examinations and/or assessments (documentary evidence required)
State examination conferences organised by the State Examination Commission. Evidence of attendance required.
Leave Related to Public Representatives
Candidates for election to both Dáil Éireann and to the European Parliament may be granted unpaid leave from the date of close of nomination to the date of the election.
As an elected representative, a Teachta Dála (T.D.), or a Member of Seanad Éireann (Senator), is entitled to paid leave, but must refund to the Department of Education and Skills the cost of employing a temporary whole-time replacement. The cost of substitution for political leave must be refunded to the school.
Local Councilors can avail of up to 10 days paid leave per school year for attendance at meetings.
Candidates in local elections are entitled to unpaid leave on polling day.
Leave for Jury Service
Leave for jury service, with paid substitution, is allowed. The cost of substitution may be recouped from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The teacher may seek to be excused from jury service by producing to the County Registrar a letter from the school which states that the teacher's absence from school would impose difficulties for the school and deprivation of lessons for students. The Registrar has total discretion to excuse the teacher from service.
Teachers Leave Summary July 2021
A full summary of current Teachers Leave Entitlements is outlined in the attached document published by ACCS Downloads: