Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2025
208. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to ensure that school secretaries have public service pensions similar to those paid by the State in same schools, teachers, SNAs who are paid by the same Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18213/25]
View answerI note that my Department has previously provided a response to the question raised by you in PQ 18214/25.
As advised, the Department of Education has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. The agreement provided for secretaries, who signed up for the package, to be moved to a pay scale aligned with that of Grade III/CO and for some enhanced terms and conditions including improved leave entitlements and maternity provisions. This was implemented under Circular 0036/2022. The agreement however did not grant public servant status to school secretaries and therefore this cohort do not have access to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.
The school remains the employer of school secretaries and it is their obligation to provide access to a PRSA scheme for employees. For secretaries who are paid through the Department-administered payroll, a facility is now being offered to join a PRSA scheme administered by Cornmarket with contributions being deducted at source. Secretaries who wish to avail of this option can contact Cornmarket directly – the participation of individuals in any scheme is a matter between the individual and the service provider.
Any changes to the terms and conditions agreed for these secretaries under Circular 0036/2022 can occur only under industrial relations processes and any such proposals would need to be considered in detail by this Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.
