Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue. Prior to the recent industrial action undertaken by secretaries, most of the public was unaware of the two-tier pay system that exists in this sector. Most parents of primary schoolgoing children know the school secretary as the first point of call, the first face they come into contact with when they visit the school and the messenger between them and their children. It is appalling to think that most school secretaries have to sign on during summer holidays. Some of them are forced to sign on during shorter holidays at Christmas and Easter and during mid-term breaks. This is a kick in the teeth for these hard-working, dedicated and caring people, who are the backbone of schools' organisational structures.

I want to make it clear that I fully support the decision of the Fórsa trade union to act on last month's ballot in which 94% of those who cast their votes backed industrial action. It is appalling that the Department of Education and Skills has given them no choice other than to work to rule in a manner that involves stoppages and withholding information required by the HSE for its child dental, vision and hearing screening programmes. It is unacceptable that a small number of school secretaries are employed directly by the Department, with the vast majority of them being employed directly by school boards of management under irregular low-paid contracts that do not offer entitlements such as sick pay, holiday pay and pensions. As I am a member of a school board of management in my own community of Schull, I know what work is done by the secretary there, Paula, and by others. To be quite honest, they are only getting half the pay they should be getting for the work they have put into the school. They are phenomenal workers. The schools would be in disarray without them.

The small grants that schools receive to cover secretarial expenses do not nearly enable them to offer the better terms and conditions that are deserved in return for the work that secretaries do in the running of schools. It is absolutely vital for school secretaries and caretakers to be made direct employees of the State and to be placed on secure contracts. These secretaries are efficient and professional. They work hard alongside school principals, It is a total and absolute disgrace that they earn just €12,500 a year with irregular short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays and other school breaks. If the Minister were on a school board of management, he would know full well how they are scraping by with their capitation grants. Boards of management in rural and urban schools have to raise funds to pay electricity and oil bills. I plead with the Minister to ensure that secretaries who are not already direct employees of the State get the pay and respect they deserve.

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