Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2022
124. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of schools identified as non-compliant with the provisions of the 2015 Arbitration Agreement in relation to school secretaries and caretakers employed by the schools through the capitation grant scheme from 2019 to date in 2022, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52454/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMost schools hire secretarial and secretarial and caretaking services under grant schemes and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school. As a result, my Department does not hold data on such staff.
On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries and caretakers, including through an independent arbitration process in 2015. The increases recommended by the Arbitrator were binding and must be applied by all schools who employ staff to whom the Arbitrator’s recommendation applies. Additional monies were made available to fund this increase and the process was set out in a number of circulars issued to schools.
In 2019, following a survey, some 71 (10% of respondents) schools who responded appeared to be not in compliance with the decision. These were again written to reminding them of the obligations. Just 17% of schools responded so a breakdown at county level is not statistically significant. It should be noted that some schools confirmed there had been a calculation error and the secretary was in fact paid in compliance with the decision.
My Department will be gathering data on school secretaries from schools in the near future as part of the implementation of the recent agreement on school secretary terms and conditions. This data will be analysed and where there appears to be issues of compliance with the decision my Department will bring this to the school's attention.
