Vol. 518 No. 2
144 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date in deciding the way in which the additional funding with respect to school caretakers and secretaries is to be allocated; if he will ensure that all schools are sufficiently funded so that they will comply with the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11256/00]
My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of school secretaries and caretakers in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. This would, of course, include any pay increases that will apply to these school secretaries and caretakers under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Currently there are approximately 450 secretaries and caretakers employed under this scheme.
Arising from the Programme for Economic and Social Progress – PESP – a second scheme was introduced in 1992 whereby my Department provides additional per capita grants for primary schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. Under this scheme qualifying schools have, up to now, been receiving grants of £30 per pupil – £15 per pupil in respect of each service – subject to a maximum grant of £15,000 – maximum of £7,500 in respect of each service.
With effect from January of this year, all primary schools with 100 or more pupils became eligible for a grant towards secretarial and caretaking services under this scheme. In addition, I increased the rates of grant by 33% to £40 per pupil. This has also resulted in the maximum grant payable to schools under this scheme increasing from £15,000 to £20,000. My Department issued these grants to schools on 4 April and a circular outlining the terms of the scheme has issued this week.
Furthermore, with effect from January 2001, I will be extending the scheme to all primary schools. In addition, I will be setting a minimum grant of £2,400 which will be payable to all schools with 60 pupils or less.
The improvements outlined above mean that with effect from January 2001, all primary schools will be receiving an annual grant to assist them with the provision of secretarial and caretaking services. The Government's commitment in this regard can also be measured by the fact that the funding allocated for this purpose, which was approximately £5.6 million in 1999, has increased this year to approximately £11.2 million and will further increase in 2001 to approximately £16.8 million.
