Under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998, the Minister for Education and Youth, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation is authorised to determine the terms and conditions of employment for teachers employed in approved teaching posts funded by monies provided by the Oireachtas.
The terms and conditions of the non-statutory Career Break Scheme for teachers detailed in my department’s Circular 0054/2019 were agreed with all Education Partners through the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) which forms part of the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for Teachers.
A Career Break is a period of special leave without pay. The main objective of the non-statutory Career Break Scheme is to facilitate applications in relation to areas including educational purposes, family reasons or public representation, in accordance with the agreed terms and conditions of the Career Break Scheme for teachers.
A Career Break is for a period of not less than 1 school year and may be extended on an annual basis provided the total period of the Career Break does not exceed 5 years at any one time, subject to an overall maximum of 10 years absence in the course of the teacher’s career.
A subsequent Career Break may not be taken until the teacher has served for a period equal to the duration of the previous Career Break.
An employer can only approve an application where it adheres to the agreed terms and conditions.
It is acknowledged that minding a child with additional needs can be extremely challenging. Therefore, where a teacher has exhausted their entitlement to a Career Break they should consult with their employer to review eligibility to other leave schemes that may apply i.e. Job-Sharing Scheme, Carer's Leave Scheme or the Parental Leave Scheme.
