Vol. 509 No. 6
631 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason he has not fully replied to correspondence sent to him on 2 July 1999 regarding the employment of secretarial assistants in primary schools; if his Department employ secretarial assistants for primary schools; the number of hours they are allowed employment; and the guidelines in this regard. [21682/99]
I am aware that the correspondence referred to by the Deputy was received and acknowledged in my office, but the papers cannot now be traced in my Department. I regret any inconvenience caused to the Deputy as a result. The information sought by the Deputy is as follows.
At primary level my Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978 scheme for the employment of clerical officers under which my Department meets the full cost of salary and employer's PRSI. However, this scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant.
The second scheme is the provision by my Department of additional per capita grants for primary schools as agreed under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, PESP, and has been in operation since 1 September 1992.
Under the PESP scheme, schools receive grants of £15 per pupil, to a maximum of £7,500 per annum, which are paid as additions to the standard per capita grant. The scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives boards of management full discretion as to the level and extent of services to which the grants are to be applied.
Since its introduction in 1992, the scheme has been expanded in line with undertakings given in the PESP. The priority has been to extend the scheme in the first instance to schools which have no secretarial provision already rather than increase the per capita grant rate of £15 per pupil. In this regard the scheme has been extended to include more schools by reducing the qualifying enrolment threshold to its current figure of 195 pupils.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that with effect from January next, all primary schools with 100 or more pupils will be eligible for a grant of £15 per pupil towards secretarial services under this scheme.
My officials will be writing to all qualifying schools over the next couple of months confirming their inclusion, and setting out the details of the scheme.
I wish to assure the Deputy that I remain committed to improvements in the provision of additional assistance to schools for these services. The position of schools that are currently in receipt of the maximum grant available under the scheme will be examined in the context of any improvements to the scheme which may be implemented in the future.
