A Uachtaráin, a cháirde agus a chomh-mhúinteoirí,
In thanking you for the invitation to address your Congress, here in Galway, I bring you fraternal greetings from the National Executive Committee of the Retired Teachers’ Association of Ireland and from our 8,000 members throughout the country.
I am conscious that many of the members I represent here today attended I.N.T.O Congresses down the years and contributed so much to making your Organisation the great body it is.
We wish to put on record, our thanks to you for continuing to concentrate on the whole area of pensions and especially now that the pensions issue has pushed itself to the very front of teachers’ concerns. From the time of the publication of the Report of the Commission on Public Service Pensions in November 2000, we feared that a concerted attack would be mounted on public service pensions and how justified our fears have proven to be. A good pension is the last remaining bastion th
at will secure our and your standard of living in retirement.
I note from your Clár that you will be discussing these and other pensions matters. A very comprehensive composite motion is item 2 on your agenda and will be discussed early tomorrow. Now more than ever – no matter how young you are - you have to apply your minds to this whole issue of pensions which is and will continue to be under severe attack.
Remember that pensions are just deferred salary that you will have paid for and unless you shout “STOP” now your years after retirement will be very poor indeed. As our National Secretary, Denis Desmond reminds teachers so often – “What does it profit serving teachers if they gain the whole world in increased salary and allowances but suffer the loss of financial security in their retirement”.
Parity has been dealt a severe blow in the last year. We never thought that parity would involve anything but following salaries upw
ards but the cut in your salaries combined with the pension levy means that a gap of 12 to 14% in relative terms has opened up. When your salaries are restored – and they must be - where will parity be? How long will it take for serving teachers to make up the real money they will have lost over the years of the cuts and the levies? Will the pension levy ever be removed? These and others are the questions you will have to debate this week and for many years to come. Your C.E.C. report notes how prominent a presence we had at all your demonstrations during the year. I hereby pledge the continuing support of our 8,000 members in all your endeavours and where and when lobbying is required, we are willing, able and more than experienced. “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”.
I cannot finish without mentioning your President, 
Máire Ní Chuinneagáin, and executive staff, in particular, John Carr, Sheila Nunan and Billy Sheehan who met with us during the year and whom we know are committed to the preservation of improved pensions for us and of course for you in the future. You are indeed fortunate in having such able and professional people at the helm of your organisation. Denis Desmond our National Secretary speaks very highly indeed of all I.N.T.O. Officers and I wish to record my own agreement with this view and at the same time to let you know that we too have a very highly thought of National Secretary in Denis.
The Treasurer of the I.N.T.O. has traditionally been the liaison with the Retired Teachers’ Association and our relationship with the I.N.T.O. continued to grow under the stewardship of Sheila when she held that office. We congratulate Noel Ward on his election to the position of Deputy General Secretary / General Treasurer and look forward to working closely with him in the future. We are aware that Noel is passionate in his pursuit of justice and we know this extends to retired teachers as well as to those still in service.
Molaimíd sibh go léir agus nár laga Dia bhfúr lámha!
Go raibh míle maith agaibh agus go mbeidh Comhdháil torthúil agaibh.