Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 18 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 3

Written Answers. - Secretarial and Caretaking Services.

Pat Carey

Question:

201 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will undertake a review of the circumstances of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who is on a back to work allowance scheme and who, as a result of a change in the circumstances for his employer, will lose his back to work allowance and, perhaps, becoming unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22560/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy was originally employed under a community employment scheme that was discontinued in 1999. The person in question was subsequently employed by a school on the basis of funding which my Department makes available to schools to assist them with meeting their caretaking needs.

The scheme under which my Department provides grants to schools to assist them in providing caretaking services is called the PESP scheme. This scheme does not provide for the linking of the additionalper capita grants to any particular pay scale. The scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives boards of management discretion as to the manner in which caretaking services are to be provided. Caretakers employed by schools under the PESP scheme are employees of the individual schools and my Department does not have any role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are employed. The school that employs the person in question received £4,760 from my Department this year to assist it with its caretaking and secretarial needs. This is the maximum amount that the school is entitled to receive under the terms of the scheme.

I am not in a position to comment on the back to work allowance, and the person's entitlement to same, as this matter is more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs. However I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to seek improvements in the level of assistance that my Department provides to schools for caretaking services.