Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a specific date. Communication has now been initiated between the representative organisation and the Workplace Relations Commission and my officials are happy to work with them. I will be happy if it happens sooner rather than later. I am also conscious of the fact that there have been so many anomalies in the schemes during years, including the 1978 and 1979 schemes. The scheme was not supposed to continue for as long as it did. When retirements occurred or people left their jobs, they were replaced for a period, but that stopped in 2008. We have had different provisions for school secretaries and there are anomalies. It is something of which I am very conscious and I am of the same opinion as the Deputy on the need for the conversation to start sooner rather than later because the arbitration agreement covers the period up to 31 December 2019.

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