Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
20. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details on her moves to regularise the employment rights of school secretaries in line with the demands of a union (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19320/20]
View answerI have seen at first hand the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by the other support staff in the running of our schools.
In recognition of this, I have put special arrangements in place for the coming school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of contracting serious illness from COVID-19 cannot work from the school premises. I have met with Forsa, who represent many of the secretaries working in schools.
The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under the capitation grant 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 grant funding for caretaking or secretarial purposes, any staff taken on to support those functions are employees of individual schools. Specific responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.
On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries and caretakers in an independent arbitration process in 2015. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for staff and a minimum hourly pay rate of €13.
In May last year FÓRSA trade union tabled a follow-on claim from the 2015 pay agreement. Officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and School Management Bodies are in discussions with FÓRSA under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission.
