Vol. 430 No. 2
316 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Education if caretakers will be appointed to primary schools in the near future; if an industrial dispute is holding up the appointment of caretakers to certain schools; if so, the cause of the dispute and the steps, if any, she intends taking to solve the problem.
A scheme was introduced in the late 1970s under which grants were paid to schools, to employ full-time caretakers if the schools fulfilled certain criteria. Because of public finance constraints, this scheme began to be phased out from 1982. There are currently 275 caretakers in schools under this scheme.
Under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, a phased programme was commenced in September 1992, to expand the provision for caretaking and clerical services in national schools with 100 pupils upwards. This programme is operated on the basis of a grant of £30 per pupil to schools with a maximum of £15,000 per school.
This programme relates to schools not being provided with such services under existing arrangements, including the scheme I have just mentioned and also the Social Employment Scheme.
I understand that the dispute referred to buy the Deputy is in regard to appointments under the Social Employment Scheme. While this is a question, in the first instance for FÁS, which operates the Social Employment Scheme, my Department is taking the matter up with FÁS in order to ensure that there is no hold-up of appointments of caretakers under the scheme.
