Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The work school secretaries did was crucial in getting schools open, and they are playing an enormous role in keeping schools open. We all know from our school communities about the diverse work they do - for example, they take care of a child who is hurt, they deal with queries from parents, they organise the menu choices of a child for school lunches and so on - but, to be honest, they feel taken for granted. Some of the things mentioned have been necessary in the context of Covid-19, but this is not just a Covid issue. It is a long-standing issue that has been going on for some time. The reason it has progressed to the stage of potential industrial action, which school secretaries are reluctant to undertake, is that it was felt that the Government position was moving backwards. At least, under the previous Government, there was a desire to tackle the issues of pay equality, and not just the narrow issue of a modest increase in pay, to which the Minister referred. We need to deal with pay equality and pension entitlements to ensure the job of a school secretary is a decent job with proper pay equality. It is clear from the Minister's reply that she is not committing to that. Will she deal with all the issues and will they be included in the negotiations?

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