Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 4

Written Answers. - Ancillary Services for Schools.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

124 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which he proposes to compensate schools in disadvantaged areas for the loss of 15 ancillary staff and the loss of the £10,000 materials grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22993/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department provides funding towards ancillary services in schools in the form of assistance to schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. This assistance is provided under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of school secretaries in primary and secondary schools and caretakers in primary schools under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. While these posts are fully funded by my Department, the secretaries and caretakers involved are employees of the individual school authorities. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. It has been superseded in the PESP agreement of 1992 by a more extensive grant scheme. The PESP scheme provides additional per capita grants for primary and secondary schools towards secretarial and caretaking services. These grants are paid as additions to the standard per capita grants. The scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives boards of management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided.

In addition to the funding arrangements outlined, I have provided funds so that schools at second level now also receive additional annual funding of £20 per pupil, with a minimum payment of £4,000 per school under the school services support fund. While provision for secretarial and caretaking support is a particular focus of this fund schools themselves are given discretion as to how precisely the funding is applied.

The Deputy will be aware that I have recently secured the transfer of £46 million per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS school-based community employment schemes, CE, come to an end. The availability of this funding will enable me to make significant progress in 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 a total of £32 million in this school year.

Proposals for the re-distribution of the moneys received this year at primary and post-primary levels are now almost finalised and I expect to be in a position to launch them within the next week. My Department is arranging for circulars to issue to all primary and post-primary schools. These circulars, which will be available shortly, will outline details of the new funding arrangements. I recently agreed with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS that all school based CE participants with a legitimate expectation of up to three years participation in a school based CE scheme will be facilitated to complete their full term. This adjustment to the phasing out of CE schemes in schools means that certain CE participants may be entitled to continue working on CE in schools up to and including 2004 depending on their individual circumstances and entitlements under CE. This adjustment should also ensure that the withdrawal of CE schemes takes place on a more gradual basis and therefore reduce the immediate impact on schools.

Schools that used CE participants as classroom assistants to assist with the care of pupils with disabilities should note that my Department has a special needs assistant scheme in place for such purposes. School authorities may apply for the services of a special needs assistant to assist in catering for pupils with special care needs arising from a disability. Further details on the operation of the special needs assistant scheme are available from special education section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, County Westmeath.