Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are in the same space as the previous question on this matter. I will pick out a couple of important elements of the answer but will not go over the whole thing again because I already have put it on record.

Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of clerical officers and caretakers were included in that bundle. These schemes were withdrawn completely in 2008. 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 arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for staff and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period. This arbitration agreement covers the period up to 31 December 2019. We are now at January 2019. My officials have advised me that the Workplace Relations Commission has not been in communication with the representative organisations yet. Obviously, with both Deputies raising the matter in the Chamber today I am sure that will happen sooner rather than later.

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