Michael Ring
Question:370 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Mayo does not have the services of a full-time secretary. [31424/01]
Written Answers. - School Services Staff.
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. The school referred to by the Deputy has the services of a full-time caretaker under this scheme. The 1978-79 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 It has been superseded in the PESP agreement of 1992 by a more extensive grant scheme now referred to as the ancillary services grant.
The ancillary services grant provides additional funding for primary schools towards the cost of 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 line with a PPF commitment to mainstream certain essential services provided under community employment, CE, schemes, I recently secured the transfer of £46 million – 58,407,951 per annum to my Department on a phased basis between now and 2003, as the FÁS school based CE schemes come to an end. The availability of this funding has enabled me to make significant progress on 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 – 40,631,618 – in this school year.
My Department has issued circulars to all primary schools outlining details of the new funding arrangements. In line with the new arrangements, the school referred to by the Deputy has recently received a further payment of £2,620 – 3,326.71 – towards the cost of secretarial services.