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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 2

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

474 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding spent to date on the employment of supervisors at second level schools; the weekly cost of this supervision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9718/02]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

492 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Education and Science the estimated weekly cost to the State in the employment of supervisors in post-primary schools as a consequence of the ASTI industrial action. [9755/02]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

527 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of people who have been employed as supervisors here; the amount of money which has been paid to date to these people; and the cost to the Exchequer. [10048/02]

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

531 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost of replacing teachers with supervisors for the week ending 8 March 2002. [10052/02]

Jan O'Sullivan

Ceist:

536 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the cost to date of replacing teachers for supervisory and substitute work; his views on whether the budget assigned for this purpose is adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10097/02]

Joe Higgins

Ceist:

546 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Education and Science the revised projected costs for the supervision system which he has put in place in second-level schools in view of the apparent tendency for these costs to be higher than anticipated. [10123/02]

Ceist:

569 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department has followed child protection guidelines in employing the temporary supervisors at secondary schools. [10341/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 492, 527, 531, 536, 546 and 569 together.

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 the 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 in order that they could employ staff to provide supervision and thereby 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, based on a minimum of two hours supervision. Where further supervision above these two hours is required, this is being remunerated at €34.28 per additional hour. This is the equivalent to the hourly rate offered to teachers.

For purposes of the contingency arrangements, payments have been made to schools by my Department, calculated on the basis of €1,270 per whole time equivalent teacher post per annum. In addition, funding has also been provided to cover employers PRSI, holiday pay and administrative costs. In aggregate, the sum disbursed to schools amounts to some €9 million, which equates to nine weeks calculated in accordance with the above formula. The contingency plan acknowledges that supplementary allocations may need to be made to some schools at a later stage if their approved outgoings are greater than the amount of the grant.
The joint managerial body placed advertisements on behalf of the managerial authorities in the national media over the weekend of the 16-17 February. In addition, the JMB organised training on a regional basis and operated a telephone help-line for schools. My Department has recouped €114,258 to the JMB to offset the cost of providing these services to date.
The contingency plan, by its nature, is flexible and does not specify a pupil-supervisor ratio, as it is recognised that the number of persons required would vary from school to school depending on the layout, both internal and external. Accordingly, information concerning the number of people recruited and the number of schools in which they are working is not readily available.
In accordance with the contingency plan, it is necessary for schools as part of the recruitment and appointment process to secure and check character references and to make such inquiries, as the school considers necessary, to satisfy itself as to the character of each appointee. In addition, schools are obliged to obtain from the Garda a satisfactory clearance report in respect of each appointee.
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