Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school secretaries have had their new pay backdated; if not, when this will happen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52271/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is providing a payroll service for school secretaries with effect from 1^stSeptember 2023. There are currently in excess of 2,600 secretaries on payroll.

As part of the implementation of the pay agreement for school secretaries, salary arrears have been calculated for all secretaries eligible for the payment. These arrears payments were received through the payroll on the 23^rdNovember 2023. Those due payments under this first phase also received written correspondence detailing the arrears that were paid. The first phase involved payments to secretaries who are currently on my Department’s payroll system.

The next phase of arrears payments will commence shortly. All secretaries due payments in this next phase will receive written communication containing details of the payments to be made. Secretaries who opted into the new arrangements and are not currently on the Department’s payroll because of retirement or resignation prior to 01/09/2023 will be issued any arrears due in this next phase.

The arrears due to school secretaries is the difference between the new Grade III salary and the grant funded salary for the 21/22 and 22/23 school years. Calculation of the arrears include pay increases that are in line with those given under Building Momentum and, also, increments payable since September 2021 for the calculated Grade III salary.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what progress has been made to improve pay and terms and conditions for school caretakers, similar to school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52272/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School caretakers are valued members of our school communities and the Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by individuals employed to carry out these duties.

As you have mentioned in 2022 a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was agreed and since then comprehensive work to move school secretaries who have accepted this deal has been undertaken by the Department to move secretaries over to the Department's payroll give effect to the terms of the agreement.

The Department is committed to ensuring that school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity to also avail of a similar agreement in the near future. At present there remains a deficit of data on the working patterns, as well as the current terms and conditions of work for caretakers, and a separate, similar process to reach appropriate agreement and to give effect to this will be required.