Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

School Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 March 2022

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Ceisteanna (111)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceist:

111. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of school secretary and caretakers pension entitlements in view of current deal and ongoing negotiations with unions and officials of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13537/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for these staff under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school. The Department with school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on a claim on terms and conditions for grant-funded school secretaries and caretakers.  On the 27th of October 2020, under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), an understanding was agreed on a pathway to progress the issues. Several key strands were identified, and a phased approach was being taken to the development of proposals. Throughout the negotiations it has been important to consider both the potential costs of any proposal for the exchequer and also in terms of the potential consequences of any agreement for the many other similarly funded roles throughout the public sector.

On the 24th  February, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a package to settle the claim was proposed which Fórsa have agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot will now be undertaken and we await the outcome. The main elements of the package offered include, in recognition of the invaluable work carried out by school secretaries,  moving their pay rates to a scale which is aligned with the Clerical Officer Grade III pay scale on a pro rata basis according to a secretary’s current working pattern. This process will provide for pay increases (backdated to 1 September 2021) to school secretaries who choose to move to the new terms. It also provides for lower-paid but longer serving secretaries to be placed higher up the salary scale.

In addition to an incremental salary scale, Secretaries may also choose to receive additional increments if they decide that they no longer wish to apply to the Department of Social Protection for payment of benefits for periods when they are not working due to school holidays. The package of proposals on offer to school secretaries also include standardised terms and conditions in relation to  annual leave, maternity benefit and sick pay.

This offer relates only to school secretaries at present. As set out in the framework agreement of 14 September 2021, while there is agreement in principle to take the same approach to the consideration of appropriate pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers there remains a deficit of data on working terms and conditions of such staff. Should the proposal be agreed and an implementation plan put in place, intensive engagement will begin on regularising the pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers.

This agreement is further acknowledgment of the excellent and often unheralded work carried out on the ground by secretaries and caretakers in our schools. I welcome Fórsa’s decision to ballot their members on this agreed suite of measures for staff who are the beating heart of our school community. This important step forward is the result of great co-operation on the part of all concerned, and a generosity and willingness to come to the table to engage in discussion and find the pathway forward and I would encourage school secretaries to vote in favour of it.

Barr
Roinn