Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2015
913. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the statutory and additional entitlements of those employed to provide secretarial or caretaking services or both to schools through the ancillary services grant programme; the rate of remuneration payable to employees employed through the programme; her plans to increase rates payable to schools under the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37176/15]
View answer936. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to increase the rate of the ancillary services grant to primary schools, and if not, the reason for it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37558/15]
View answer937. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to change the current employer of secretaries, cleaners and caretakers, employed in primary schools from the individual board of management to her Department, and if not, the reasons for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37559/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 913, 936 and 937 together.
My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised primary schools.
The amount of grant paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school's enrolment, subject to a minimum grant for both capitation and ancillary services in respect of schools with enrolments up to 60, and a maximum ancillary services grant in the case of schools with enrolments of 500 or more.
In 2015 the capitation grant is €170 per pupil, and the Ancillary Services Grant is €147 per pupil.
The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 40/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding for primary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
Where a school uses the grant funding to employ a Caretaker and/or Secretary, such staff are employees of the individual school. The Department therefore does not have any role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. These are matters to be agreed between the staff concerned and the school management, subject of course to any relevant statutory provisions.
Notwithstanding this, it was recently agreed that my Department would engage with the union side in relation to issues around the pay of Secretaries and Caretakers. The parties have now entered an arbitration process conducted by the Labour Relations Commission. The Deputy will appreciate that as the arbitration process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
