Nora Owen
Question:432 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Education and Science if all schools have received permission to employ secretaries and caretakers as Government employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31858/01]
Written Answers. - School Services Staff.
My Department provides funding to primary and second level schools on the basis of per capita grants with additional grants towards ancillary services such as caretaking and secretarial. In line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under community employment schemes, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million, 58,407,951, per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS school-based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in relation to the provision of secretarial and caretaking services to schools by putting in place an equitable system of funding for ancillary services throughout the free education school system. My Department will receive £32 million, 40,631,618, in this school year.
In the case of primary schools, I am increasing the grant for caretakers and secretaries from £40, 50.79, per pupil per annum to £100, 126.98, per pupil over this school year and the next. With immediate effect, the grant will be increased from £40, 50.79, to £60, 76.18, per pupil. This will be further increased to £80, 101.58, per pupil in January. As a result, the minimum grant to be paid to schools with 60 pupils or less will increase from £2,400, 3,047.37, to £4,800, 6,094.74, while schools with 500 pupils or more will increase from £20,000, 25,394.76, to £40,000, 50,789.52, per annum.
At second level, the extra funding will be allocated to schools under the school services support fund that I introduced last year. With immediate effect, the grant will be increased from £20, 25.40, per pupil to £50, 63.49, per pupil per annum, with a further increase to £70, 88.88, per pupil next September and to £78, 99.04, per pupil in January 2003. While provision for support services, including secretarial and caretaking, is a particular focus of this fund, schools have discretion, in line with that available in relation toper capita grants, as to how this additional funding is best utilised in the interests of their pupils. These increases are in addition to the provision made to schools for secretaries and caretakers under separate schemes.
The minimum annual grant under the services support fund for schools with 200 pupils or fewer will increase from £4,000, 5,078.96, to £15,600, 19,807.91, per year while schools with 500 pupils or more will rise from £10,000, 12,697.38, to £39,000, 49,519.79, over this school year and the next. In the case of second level schools receiving grants of £55, 69.84, per pupil for secretaries and caretakers, up to a maximum of £19,250, 24,442.46, per school, the annual grant of £78, 99.04, under the services support fund will bring the combined total for a 500 pupil school to £58,250, 73,962.24, per year. My Department has issued circulars to all primary and second level schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements. It is intended that payments will issue to schools shortly.
The scheme provides grants to schools that are not directly linked to any objective pay scales. Therefore, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply diverse arrangements for secretarial and caretaking services, as resources permit. As the secretaries and caretakers are employees of individual schools, my Department does not have any role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. These are matters to be agreed between the staff concerned and the school authorities.