Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 10 July 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth

Pension Parity and Working Conditions for School Secretaries and Caretakers: Fórsa

2:00 am

Mr. David Hearne:

At present, a contract could be ten hours or up to 40 hours. Some caretakers have to sign on in the summer, Christmas, Easter and mid-term while others work a 52-week year. The discrepancy is massive. Even our contracts are not secure. If a school drops in size and the pupil numbers go down the caretaker can be lost. There is no job security for us. As a young caretaker myself, in the job seven years, only having got married and having bought my first home, I do not know if I have a job next year. I cannot say right here and now if in September 2026 I will still be employed as a school caretaker. I do not know. There is no job security there.