Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate that I do not for one minute underestimate the value and importance of the work of support staff, and particularly the cleaners that the Deputy mentions. Cleaners are nonetheless employed directly by schools using the ancillary grant. It is the current operation. In ETB schools the cleaners are employed directly by the board. The provision of a pension is therefore a matter for the individual school, if these people are employed through the school and a capitation grant, or the individual ETB if the people are employees of the ETB.

I also reiterate that schools and ETBs, as employers, are obliged to provide access to the personal retirement savings account. Equally, as I have outlined, there is the roadmap for pensions reform, with a mechanism anticipated to be in place for 2022 for the automatic enrolment of people into a scheme. That should come on stream with an option to opt out.

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