Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

In general the arrangements for supporting secretarial and caretaking services in schools mirror those for providing support funding for the schools concerned. Primary and secondary schools are funded through capitation grants and likewise secretarial and caretaking services are funded by grants related to the number of pupils in the school.

A small number of primary and post-primary schools continue to have caretaker and secretary posts funded under a scheme that was put in place in 1978. This is being phased out as it has been superseded by the grant scheme that I have mentioned. The original 1978 scheme covered a relatively small number of primary and secondary schools. The decision to phase it out was part of a policy decision to spread the support more widely and ultimately cover all primary and secondary schools with funding for such services.

The funding approach adopted for caretaking and secretarial provision in second level schools in the VEC and community and comprehensive sector schools is in line with the funding mechanisms that apply generally in those schools. The amount of funding given to primary and secondary schools is not directly linked to any particular pay rates and furthermore schools have discretion on how to apply this funding across their support service needs. The Department does not have any direct role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. These are matters to be agreed between the staff concerned and the school authorities. However, boards of management of individual schools are expected to comply with employment legislation and are advised accordingly in guidance from the Department.

In the context of discussions on the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, an informal forum was established in the public sector to explore several staffing-related issues arising in companies-bodies operating in the voluntary-community sector that are largely funded from public funds. As part of that informal process, the Department has facilitated a number of meetings between the managerial bodies of schools employing secretaries and caretakers and the IMPACT and SIPTU trade unions representing the grades concerned. The most recent meeting took place on 11 March 2008, at which my officials undertook to continue to facilitate those discussions. In addition, representatives of the management bodies of schools agreed to meet separately the trade unions concerned on issues of concern to their members.

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