Vol. 513 No. 1
758 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the announcement made in budget 2000 that significant administrative support and caretaking services in schools will be provided; if he will consider permanent and full-time caretaking and secretarial positions for Scoil Áine, Raheny, Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1534/00]
My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of school secretaries and caretakers under which my Department meets the full cost of salary and employer's PRSI. This scheme is, however, being phased out as posts become vacant.
Arising from the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, PESP, a second scheme was introduced in 1992 whereby my Department provides additional capitation grants for primary schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. Under the PESP scheme, schools receive grants of £30 per pupil, based on their enrolments, which are paid as additions to the standard per capita grant.
With effect from January of this year, all primary schools with 100 or more pupils have become eligible for a grant towards secretarial and caretaking services under this scheme. Costing £2.7 million, this improvement of the scheme will benefit approximately 650 schools serving 90,000 pupils. My Department is currently making arrangements for the issuing of these grants to schools. Due to the need to develop an IT programme, and the necessity to verify all school enrolments for September 1999, it is expected that these grants will issue to schools in March of this year.
The Deputy will also be aware that I have secured an additional £9 million in the recent budget, over the next two years, which will enable me to extend and improve the supports available to all primary schools. Details of the implementation of this will be worked out in the near future following consultations and will, when taken together with the earlier move, make a major contribution to assisting schools.
The position regarding Scoil Áine, Raheny is that it is currently involved in a secretarial sharing arrangement with Scoil Eithne, Edenmore under the 1978 scheme. There is no provision at the moment for the appointment of full time secretaries in posts that are being shared. In addition to the shared secretary arrangement, Scoil Áine also currently receives £15 per pupil, towards the cost of caretaking services, under the PESP scheme.
The position of schools such as Scoil Áine will be borne in mind in working out details for the implementation of the additional £9 million referred to above. However the first priority will be to provide for secretarial and caretaking assistance for those schools that are currently not assisted.
