Legislation passed in December to deal with the issue of equal pay for entrants to the teaching profession called for a report to be commissioned within three months. I understand the report is to bring forward details of the cost and a plan to work towards pay equalisation. It is unacceptable that post-2011 entrants to the teaching profession will experience a loss over their career of between €53,000 and €105,000. I ask that something be done about this. The teachers do their best in schools, but morale is low. It is having a detrimental effect on the teaching profession. It undervalues the profession and leads to a situation where we cannot retain or recruit teachers. I ask for an update on the report. Will there be an opportunity to debate it? I sincerely hope there will.

I do not have an update on the report, but I understand that, as part of the public service stability agreement, there is an agreement which is due to take place with the unions on the matter.