Department of Education devises plan to chase down 6.8m in overpayments made to school staff and retirees

The Department of Education revealed a document highlighting overpayments affecting approximately 3,950 individuals, constituting 0.1% of the payroll budget. A project plan is in place to resolve issues related to the repayments, particularly for former staff without pension entitlements. The document also emphasizes the influence of generative AI on the redevelopment of the senior cycle and acknowledges the need for improved Irish language teaching in English-speaking schools. Additionally, efforts are underway to address school transport issues exacerbated by procurement difficulties.

"There is a greater challenge in respect of staff who are no longer employed by the Department and who have no pension entitlement," the document stated.

"Recent developments in the field of AI, including large language models or generative AI, has provoked considerable commentary about the potential impact of these technologies on the education sector and in particular on assessment," it said.

"A two-year action plan is being developed with the aim of improving the teaching and learning of Irish in English-speaking schools across the country."

Read at Irish Independent