CID

Contract of Indefinite Duration

Teachers employed on contracts of indefinite duration (CID) have all the same rights and entitlements as permanent teachers. 

The only difference between a contract of indefinite duration and a permanent contract is that CID holders who teach less than 18 hours are paid at an hourly rate for the number of hours they teach each week. CID holders on 18 hours or more per week are paid a full-time salary.

Significant gains for temporary teachers

The Minister for Education and Youth announced an initiative last April regarding the award of Contracts of Indefinite Duration (CID). The measure will reduce the qualification period for granting a CID from a period of continuous employment in excess of two years with the same employer to a period of continuous employment in excess of one year with the same employer. ASTI had agitated for several years for this measure to be implemented. The ASTI is in discussions with the Department of Education and Youth on framing the Circular Letter to give effect to this decision. ASTI members who took up their first contract in a viable teaching post in September 2025 will become eligible for a CID in September 2026. This eligibility is contingent upon successful reappointment following a competitive recruitment process. Some confusion arose regarding ASTI members eligibility for these CIDs as it was included in the terms of the document Senior Cycle Redevelopment – Implementation Support Measures, which ASTI members rejected in May 2025.

For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions in the forthcoming circular, providing for the eligibility of ASTI members for a CID, will apply to ASTI members.

In relation to CID teachers who are working temporary hours, the ASTI assume that these hours will  become part of the teacher’s CID after one year, but this arrangement remains to be clarified in the forthcoming Circular Letter.

Qualifying for a CID

The granting of CIDs for teachers is governed by Circular 0024/2015.

In order to qualify for a CID you must:

• be registered with the Teaching Council
• hold appropriate qualifications, including a PGDE/H.Dip/PME
• Have one years continuous teaching service, under one or more successive written contracts of employment with the same employer that were paid for by monies provided by the Oireachtas

Teachers who meet the above criteria will be entitled to a CID unless:

• Their post will not be viable within a reasonable period, and this was set out as an objective ground in writing in the previous contract
• They are covering for a teacher on an approved scheme of leave of absence (other than for Career Break or Secondment) and this was set out as an objective ground in writing in the previous contract.

CID hours

The hours of the CID will be those hours for which the teacher was engaged on a fixed-term contract in the school year prior to the issuing of the CID.

Salary 

CID 18 hours or more
A CID holder on 18 hours or more may be paid full time salary if they agree in writing to be timetabled up to 22 hours per week. A Form H22 must be completed and returned to the Department of Education or ETB to enable teachers to have their salary adjusted. This means they will be paid a yearly salary of their relevant point on the salary scale plus allowances, if applicable. 

CID with fewer than 18 hours
A teacher with a CID, who teaches fewer than 18 hours a week, is paid a fraction of their relevant point on the salary scale plus allowances based on the number of hours they are contracted to work each week.

(a) Determine your relevant point on the salary scale, and add allowances (if applicable). Divide this number by 52 (weeks in the year)
(b) Divide again by 22 (22 hours = full time hours)
(c) Multiply by the number of hours you are contracted to work each week

This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid each week, before deductions. As teachers are paid every fortnight, you should multiply this figure by two to check if the 'gross salary' figure on your payslip is correct.   

Incremental Credit

Teachers can claim incremental credit for each year worked on a CID contract.

Sick leave

Paid sick leave for CID teachers is limited to a maximum of 183 days of absence in any period of four consecutive years of teaching service. In calculating the 183 days, absence both certified and uncertified sick leave will be counted. 

Links

• See FAQs on CIDs from the Department of Education here. 
• Form CID 23-24 - APPLICATION FOR DEPARTMENT SANCTION FOR AN INITIAL OR FURTHER CONTRACT OF INDEFINITE DURATION (CID) IN THE 2022/23 SCHOOL YEAR UNDER THE TERMS OF CIRCULAR 0024/2015

  and/or APPLICATION FOR AN INCREASED CID FOR A TEACHER WITH A CID FOR 18 HOURS OR MORE UNDER THE TERMS OF CIRCULARS 0048/2007 AND 0011/2009 (H22) (For teachers in Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools)