Michael Ring
Ceist:370 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Mayo does not have the services of a full-time secretary. [31424/01]
Vol. 546 No. 3
370 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Mayo does not have the services of a full-time secretary. [31424/01]
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 in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. The school referred to by the Deputy has the services of a full-time caretaker under this scheme. The 1978-79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. It has been superseded in the PESP agreement of 1992 by a more extensive grant scheme now referred to as the ancillary services grant.
The ancillary services grant provides additional funding for primary schools towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services. These grants are paid as additions to the standard per capita grants. The scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives boards of management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided.