David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The first thing we should do is not play party politics with this issue and start patting ourselves on the back. It is the secretaries and caretakers who have been pushing this issue for years. Admittedly, we have been a conduit and the trade union in recent times has robustly taken on this issue but this is only the start of a process. There is a long way to go. I wish all the sides well. I want to see a resolution and I hope that we can get one. I still think it is in the gift of the Department to sort it out, notwithstanding that a process has opened up, and that is encouraging. I hope the outcome of that will be the deal and the better working conditions that those school secretaries and caretakers deserve.

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