Vol. 542 No. 2
539 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will list the primary schools in Cork city; the schools in Cork city which have caretakers and secretarial assistants; and the schools which are without a caretaker or secretary as a result of the discontinuation of the community employment scheme in schools. [23940/01]
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that since September 2000 all schools are now in receipt of funding in respect of caretaking and secretarial services. My Department provides funding towards the cost of these 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. 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 It has been superseded in the PESP agreement of 1992 by a more extensive grant scheme.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.
I recently secured the transfer of £46 million per annum to my Department on a phased basis, as the FÁS school-based community employment schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress in relation to 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 distribution of the moneys received this year at primary and post primary levels have now been finalised. My Department will provide funding for caretakers and secretaries to schools and the employment of secretaries and caretakers will be a matter for individual boards of management. In the case of primary schools I am increasing the grant for caretakers and secretaries from £40 per pupil per annum to £100 over this school year and the next. With immediate effect, the grant will be increased from £40 to £60 per pupil. This will be further increased to £80 per pupil in January. As a result, the minimum grant to be paid to schools with 60 pupils or less will increase from £2,400 to £4,800, while schools with 500 pupils or more will increase from £20,000 to £40,000 per annum rising to £50,000 the following year.
My Department is now arranging for circulars to issue to all primary and second level schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements.
I have also announced that I am immediately appointing consultants to examine and advise on transitional arrangements that may affect some schools during the process of the withdrawal of CE schemes. I am setting aside £2 million to respond to the recommendations of the consultants.
