A delay in applying legislation which requires equal treatment for part-time and full-time staff has meant teachers are applying for back pay.
Batt O’Keefe, Ireland’s new education minister, has admitted the government owes a “substantial sum” to 1,000 part-time teachers because of a delay in applying legislation.

The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, which follows an EU directive, requires equal treatment for part-time and full-time staff, and grants part-time workers annual increments after a calendar year even if they have not worked the full year.