Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
594. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way her Department monitors the interpretation and application of "viable hours" in determining eligibility for contract of indefinite duration, CID, entitlement in primary schools; whether any assessment has been undertaken into inconsistencies in the application of CID pathways across schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39711/26]
View answerDepartment Circular 20/2026 sets out the revised criteria for the award of a CID in Primary Schools. Under the provisions of the school, it is the school, as the employer, that is required to make the determination on if a teacher employed by the school has satisfied the eligibility criteria for the award of a CID, based on the information set out in the circular and the relevant guidance document, and based on if the school will have a viable post available to the school.
Circular 20/2026 sets out that a post is considered to be viable if it is for a reasonable period, comes from the school/ETB allocation for the forthcoming year, does not solely relate to temporary cover (e.g. covering for maternity leave/sick leave) and where there are no objective grounds. It should be noted
that a reasonable period is considered to be at least a full school year.
