Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2016
115. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school secretaries employed by boards of management and paid from the ancillary services grant; the number who are on the 1978-79 scheme and paid directly by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29366/16]
View answerThe Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of school secretaries and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of secretarial needs required for the school. Funding to cater for these needs is made available from my Department under two separate schemes.
One is the 1978/79 scheme under which the school secretaries are paid directly through the payroll operated by my Department. The 1978/79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. There are currently 186 secretaries currently employed under this scheme.
The 1978/79 scheme has been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools. Within the grant programme, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply their own arrangements for secretarial services as resources permit. My Department does not have any direct role in the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. Given that employment of school secretaries is dealt with at local school level, my Department does not have a central record of the number of school secretaries funded by the ancillary services grant in each of the over 3,000 primary schools.
