Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 November 2018
192. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale for the decision to change the 1978 scheme to the grant-based scheme in 1992, under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, which negatively impacted upon some school secretaries who have no pension entitlements and are treated differently than those, for example, employed by the education and training boards. [47935/18]
View answerA scheme for clerical staff in schools was initiated in April 1978 as part of the then Government’s job-creation programme, with a similar scheme for caretakers introduced in 1979 whereby staff employed on these schemes were paid directly by the Department. However, on foot of a Government decision of the 22 October 1982 to phase out these schemes, no new appointments were permitted and this decision was conveyed to schools at the time. While certain vacancies on the schemes were filled in subsequent years, the schemes were withdrawn completely in 2008.
The original 1978/79 schemes covered a relatively small number of primary and secondary schools and the decision to phase them out was part of a policy decision to spread the support more widely and ultimately cover all primary and secondary schools with funding for such services. Negotiations took place in the context of the introduction of new arrangements for the provision of clerical and caretaking assistance for schools under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. A final agreement was reached between the Department and the unions to allow for implementation of the new arrangements.
As the 1978 and 1979 schemes were being phased out, they were superseded by these more extensive capitation grant schemes. Under these schemes, the majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services. Within the schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs. Where a school uses the capitation grant funding to employ a secretary or caretaker, such staff are employees of individual schools.
My Department has recently made significant efforts to improve the pay of School Secretaries and Caretakers who are employed using capitation grant assistance. In 2015 my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries on negotiations and agreed to enter an independent arbitration process on the issue. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for school secretaries and caretakers comprehended by the terms of the arbitration process and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 for such staff be phased in over the period 2016 to 2019. Following the arbitration process, grant funding used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff is being improved on a phased basis between 2016 and 2019 in order to enable schools to implement the arbitration outcome.
I am personally very much aware of this as an issue and the important role that School Secretaries and Caretakers play in the running of schools.
