Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A byline in a newspaper article I saw was a quotation from one of the school secretaries. She said that it is as if no one cares. I disagree with that because I know from my experience of teaching and from having been the chairman of the board of management of a primary school how valuable the work of school secretaries is. I understood how valued school secretaries are by staff, students and parents. On many occasions, it is the school secretary who is the first point of contact for people who call to or telephone a school.

School secretaries, along with the other ancillary staff, have a special relationship with students. Sometimes it is the school secretary who is told something by a student that can be brought to the attention of the relevant teachers or the principal. They are an integral part of a school and have an important role. We know, however, that there is inequality to be addressed.

As the Minister indicated, there is a need for accurate information. The Department stated that the issue will be considered when a survey has been completed and that there will be further negotiations with the union. I know it is a difficult situation because the Department is not the direct employer of some of the secretaries while it is the direct of employer of others. In the school at which I was teaching, there were both types of arrangement.

Paying out of the ancillary grant depends on capitation, numbers, etc. It has been working in that the schools have been able to use the ancillary grant to pay the secretaries but it is up to the schools to decide how the grant is to be used. It has to be used for caretaking and other purposes also. Therefore, schools have a responsibility but they do not have the resources to meet the needs in respect of further pay, pension rights and sick leave. I am talking about the majority of schools but fee-paying schools, because they have extra resources, may be different.

Schools do their best within their resources in order to look after the secretaries. It was disappointing, therefore, to learn that some schools have not implemented the binding arbitration agreement of 2015. Again, accurate information is needed to address the issues. A figure was given of 3,500 school secretaries working in the education system, and it is stated that 10% are paid directly by the Department. There is a need, however, for more accuracy. We need the exact numbers, including because we are dealing with an historic set of circumstances. Before 1982, the school secretaries were employed directly by the Department of Education and Skills. Since then, the different system has come in. We can all acknowledge the changes that have taken place in the education system but the system of having different treatment or conditions for some school secretaries has been allowed to continue. There is a role for the WRC but if we have meaningful, effective dialogue between all the players, this can be resolved.

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