The Department of Education is working to recover €6.8 million in overpayments made to thousands of current and former school staff, including retirees.
According to the Irish Independent, the payments, which accumulated up until the end of 2023, were outlined in a briefing document prepared for new Education Minister Helen McEntee.
The overpaid amount represents just 0.1% of the department’s overall payroll budget, but with around 3,950 individuals affected, officials have now put together a structured plan to recoup the money.
According to the document, repayments are typically deducted from salaries or pensions. However, there’s a bigger challenge in recovering funds from those who no longer work for the department and do not have a pension entitlement.
“Work is ongoing in engaging with this category of former staff,” the document stated, highlighting the difficulty in tracking down individuals who may have moved on to other careers or locations.
The plan also includes measures to address the root causes of these overpayments to prevent similar issues in the future. Alongside this, the document outlined how the department is factoring in the impact of generative AI as part of a broader redevelopment of the senior cycle. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is supporting this initiative, ensuring AI’s role in education is carefully managed.
