Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Education and Skills for joining us. As she is aware, the Fórsa Trade Union school secretary branch, which represents more than 1,000 school secretaries in primary and secondary schools nationwide, has indicated that notice of industrial action will be served shortly to more than 1,000 individual schools and the Department of Education and Skills. School secretaries will hold three one day work stoppages on Friday, 23 October, Monday, 2 November, and Friday, 13 November, followed by an indefinite strike commencing on Monday, 16 November. The continuing dispute with the Department is due to a long-standing two tier pay system that leaves most school secretaries earning just €12,500 a year with irregular short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays and the school breaks.

I was very disappointed to find out that last week at the Workplace Relations Commission, the Department of Education and Skills failed to engage in the substantial issues of the claim in terms of pay regularisation and terms and conditions. The fact that school secretaries, many of whom earn just €12,500 a year, are completely undervalued in terms of the work they do means they will take this action. It is unfortunate but I absolutely back them as they endeavour on this path. There is still time to resolve the issue. What occurred at the Workplace Relations Commission last week was very unfortunate. If we can get in front of the issue we have to do so.

I note the change in direction is a departure from the Fianna Fáil and Green Party manifestoes, which committed the parties to ending the two tier system. More surprisingly, it is also a change in direction from what was communicated by the Minister's predecessor. He committed to using the workplace relations mechanism to address the unfairness experienced by school secretaries throughout Ireland.

I am very conscious we are in the midst of a pandemic and I fully appreciate that the school secretaries to whom I have spoken do not take this decision lightly but they are no longer willing to be undervalued and underappreciated. I hope that if this does come to pass we will not simply dismiss their claim and tell them they should have waited until the pandemic is over. They have waited an incredibly long time. These are people who have very scant access to sick pay, maternity pay or secure employment. At present, in schools throughout the country they are the people who are the first port of call telling children to make sure their hands are sterilised. They were carrying tables around schools ensuring they were all set up. They are invaluable to the working of a school. If they have to take industrial action nobody will cross those pickets. This will mean our schools will close, which places everybody in jeopardy because we need to keep them open. How has the Department committed, or how will it commit, to addressing this issue using the workplace mechanisms already at its disposal? It requires immediate leadership.

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