Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 4

Adjournment Debate. - School Caretaking Services.

Mr. S. Ryan

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity of raising with the Minister the need for additional caretaking facilities at St. Sylvester's national school and Pope John Paul II national school in Malahide. The schools share a caretaker under the 1978-79 scheme. However, pupil intake in both schools has increased considerably over the past 20 years. Combined, the schools cater for 972 pupils. I am aware this request will not hit the headlines in the media tomorrow morning. However, notwithstanding this, it is a very serious matter for the maintenance, safety and security of both schools.

St. Sylvester's has a school-going population of 365 pupils. The school has 12 classrooms, four of which are pre-fabricated buildings situated across the school yard from the main school building. In addition, the school has two separate recreation yards. The safety of the children is a major concern, particularly as the school is situated at a main crossroads, with a resultant huge volume of traffic passing the school.

Pope John Paul II school has a population of 607 children and has moved from being a three stream to a four stream school. The opening of the school each morning, for example, could take up to an hour, with over 40 doors to be opened, as it was decided a number of years ago to lock all internal doors for obvious reasons. School furniture, including audiovisual equipment, has to be distributed to all classes each morning.

At present both schools share a permanent caretaker who works three days per week at Pope John Paul II school and the other two days at St. Sylvester's school. This is an entirely unsustainable situation. It is obvious that additional permanent caretaking staff are required for the proper operation of the schools, particularly in the areas of general maintenance and security. It should be noted that the part-time caretaker employed under the community employment scheme at St. Sylvester's left in September last and to date a suitable replacement has not been found. In Pope John Paul II school the community employment scheme under which two part-time caretakers are employed will come to an end in February. Furthermore, work on the extension of Pope John Paul II school is expected to commence shortly. This, in itself, will necessitate additional caretaking in the interests of safety.

A very reasonable case has been made by the boards of management of both schools for the provision of a full-time permanent caretaker in both schools. A good, reliable caretaker is a very important member of the staff of any school. It is difficult to visualise a school, particularly a large one, operating without a caretaker. Some of the tasks required of a caretaker are to open schools, operate the heating system, move equipment, clean, repair furniture and broken windows, provide security and so on. How can a school operate properly without a caretaker?

Given the specific needs of the schools, the projected increase in the school population of the catchment area and the present economic climate, I urge the Minister to respond favourably to the request from the boards of management and to my appeal tonight on behalf of the schools, students and their parents, who are very concerned about this and want something done.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. O'Dea)

Currently my Department provides funding towards the cost of caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. The first of these schemes, which was mentioned by Deputy Ryan, is called the provision of caretakers in national schools scheme and was introduced in 1979 as a job creation measure. The scheme's purpose is to meet the costs of salaries and employers' PRSI for caretaking staff employed in the larger primary schools. Under this scheme a number of primary schools qualified for a shared caretaker and both Pope John Paul II national school and St. Sylvester's junior national school are currently involved in a sharing arrangement. Grants covering the cost of salary and employers' PRSI are paid to the school authorities. The board of management of Pope John Paul II national school is the actual employer in this case. This scheme, which was introduced in 1979, is, however, being phased out as posts become vacant. There is no provision for the appointment of full-time caretakers in posts which are currently being shared.

The second scheme for the provision of caretaking services in primary schools was introduced in 1992 as part of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, PESP. Under the terms of the PESP, a phased programme of financial assistance by way of a supplementary capitation grant for the provision of caretaking services came into effect on 1 September 1992.

Primary schools eligible for grant assistance under this scheme receive £15 per pupil per annum, subject to a maximum of £7,500, if they do not have caretaking assistance already under the existing Department's scheme for the employment of caretakers. Boards of management are responsible for making the necessary arrangements for the provision of caretaking services appropriate to the needs of the school.

With effect from January next, all primary schools with 100 pupils or more which do not have a service already under the 1979 scheme will be eligible for a grant of £15 per pupil per annum. Should the existing caretaker post shared between Pope John Paul II national school and St. Sylvester's junior national school fall vacant, my Department will provide both schools with a grant of £15 per pupil per annum towards the cost of caretaking services, subject to a maximum grant of £7,500 to each school, in accordance with the current terms of the PESP scheme.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.50 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. on Thursday, 11 November 1999.