Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to speak on the subject and to support school secretaries, as have other Deputies. Schools were delighted when they first received ancillary grants to employ secretaries and caretakers, but it has become an outmoded system which needs to be rejigged to ensure that staff, particularly secretarial staff, get full-time employment and are recognised in the system.

Deputy Healy referred to the number of studies that have been carried out. I contend that if time-in-work and value-for-money studies were carried out to assess the amount of time recovered by secretaries which allows teachers to get on with teaching, the Minister would certainly give full status, pay, working conditions and recognition to school secretaries. It would be a cost-neutral exercise.

I will not go over ground that has been addressed. Other speakers referred to secretaries being the engine room, heartbeat or glue of schools and critical to their success. I consider them to be the cornerstone of a school's success. All school principals, particularly those of small primary schools would, as the Minister alluded, agree that the successful running of a school is based on the principal having the full co-operation of and sharing responsibility with them. More importantly, it is based on the cornerstone which is the school secretary. The work the secretaries do needs to be recognised. They should be given full and unequivocal support by the House. I hope that the Minister can find a formula to so do.

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