Vol. 554 No. 5
650 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of secondary school secretaries paid by his Department; the number of secretaries employed directly by secondary schools for which the Department pay the school a grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16557/02]
My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in secondary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is that introduced in 1978-79 for the employment of secretaries in secondary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. There are currently 169 secretarial posts in some 164 secondary schools, which are currently paid under this scheme. The 1978-79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant.
It has been superseded by a more extensive school support grant scheme towards the funding of secretarial and caretaking services in schools. This scheme, by its nature, is flexible and gives schools discretion as to the manner in which such services are provided. Responsibility for the making of appointments is a matter for school authorities and my Department does not have any role regarding how they are employed.
Significant improvements have been made in the level of funding of such services in second level schools. Under the school services support initiative, the school services grant which was increased from €25.40 per pupil to €63.49 per pupil in September 2001, has been further increased to €88.88 per pupil from September last. Funding for voluntary secondary schools has been further enhanced by the introduction of a range of equalisation measures that are designed to reduce historic anomalies in the funding arrangements for the different school types at second level. Under the terms of these measures, secondary schools covered by the 1978-79 secretarial scheme, and in receipt of caretaking grants of up to €11,110 per school introduced under the PESP programme, qualify for a range of equalisation grants, that were approved in December last, of up to €6,666 per school, €19 per pupil, and a further increase of €28 in the support services grant, bringing the rate to €116.88 per pupil from last September. In the case of secondary schools that are not covered by the 1978-79 secretarial scheme and are in receipt of secretarial and caretaking PESP grants of up to €24,400 per school, such schools will qualify annually for an enhanced school services grant rate of €116.88 per pupil and additional school grants of up to €15,554 per school. For a school with 500 pupils, total current annual school funding towards general expenses and schools services support including secretarial and caretaking services now amounts to €236,761, €255,811 in the case of disadvantaged schools.
