Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2019
180. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 67 of 8 November 2018, the status of the matter; his views in regard to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10228/19]
View answerThe majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme receive grant assistance to provide for secretarial and/or caretaking services. Within the grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs and the Department does not stipulate how these services are to be obtained. Where a school uses the grant funding to employ a secretary or caretaker, such staff are employees of individual schools. My 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 authorities.
Notwithstanding the above, in 2015 my Department agreed to engage with the union side in relation to the pay of School Secretaries and Caretakers who are employed using grant funding and to enter an arbitration process if necessary. 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.
The Arbitrator's recommendations were accepted by both sides. My Department has subsequently issued a number of Circulars to schools to implement and give effect to the Arbitrator's recommendation. Accordingly, please find links below to the latest circulars in this regard:
https://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/education/2018/76.pdf
https://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/education/2018/77.pdf
My Department has not been made aware of any specific instances of non-compliance with these circulars.
