A guide to special leave with pay for sporting purposes for second-level teachers in Ireland.
Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes
Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes may be granted to a teacher who is representing Ireland in the following sporting events:
- The Olympic Games
- World Championship Events
- European Championship Events
- Pre-Olympic Qualifying Competitions (The term Pre-Olympic applies to those sports in which there are specific pre-Olympic qualifying events)
Entitlement
Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes is a period of leave consisting of the number of school days required to represent Ireland at the International Sporting events listed above.
The sport must be governed by a National Governing Body (NGBs) and affiliated with Sport Ireland.
A teacher who is absent on another form of statutory or non-statutory leave may not be granted Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes instead of that leave.
Application Procedure
The approval of the employer must be sought 6 weeks in advance of the start date of the proposed leave. (Late applications may be considered in exceptional circumstances)
The Application Form (located at Appendix A of circular letter 0092/2024) should be completed and submitted to the employer, along with a letter from the governing body confirming the event details, as soon as is reasonably practicable but no later than 6 weeks prior to the start date of the leave.
The letter from the governing body should be on headed paper, confirm the start and end date of the competition and detail any official travel details to and from the event.
The employer must provide the teacher with a written acknowledgement confirming receipt of the leave application and their decision to approve/refuse the request.
Where an application is refused, the employer must include the grounds for refusal.
Where an application is approved at school/ETB level, the employer must send the completed application form, approval from the board of management/ETB and the letter from the governing body on headed paper to [email protected] for final approval, no later than 4 weeks before the start date.
Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes is not a statutory entitlement.
While the employer should take reasonable measures to facilitate the request, they must ensure the educational, welfare and care needs of students takes precedence.
For full details on Special Leave with Pay for Sporting Purposes please refer to circular letter 0092/2024.
