Vol. 550 No. 4
73 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of his contingency plans for supervision and substitution in second-level schools for the week ending 8 March, 2002; the total number of supervisors employed; the budget allocation which has been made for this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9235/02]
Officials of my Department held discussions with the representatives of the managerial authorities in the second-level sector in order to ensure that schools would remain open when the ASTI directive to its members to withdraw from voluntary supervision and substitution duties took effect on 4 March 2002. Arising from these discussions a contingency plan was prepared and agreed between my Department and the managerial authorities. As part of the contingency arrangements, my Department undertook to resource schools so that they could employ staff to provide supervision and remain open. In addition, my Department undertook to recoup the cost to the management authorities in advertising for, recruiting and training appropriate personnel to provide supervision services in schools on a temporary contractual basis.
Supervisors who contracted for delivery of supervision services are being remunerated at a daily contract rate of €68.56, £54, based on a minimum of two hours supervision. Where further supervision above these two hours is required this is being remunerated at €34.28, £27, per additional hour. This is the equivalent to the hourly rate offered to teachers. To put schools in funds for the purposes of the contingency arrangements, an initial payment was made to schools by my Department on 28 February 2002, which was based upon six weeks of the annual grant, calculated on the basis of €1,270, £1,000, per whole time equivalent teacher post per annum, with a stipulation that further payments of the grant will be made to schools at the appropriate stages of the contingency. In addition, funding was provided to cover employers PRSI, holiday pay and administrative costs. In aggregate, the sum dispersed to schools was approximately €7 million, £5.5 million.
