Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the points the Deputies have made. They do not have to tell me the value of school secretaries and caretakers. I have worked all my teaching life in the school sector and I am very familiar with the work of school secretaries and, indeed, caretakers.

Specifically on some of the points that have been made, a phased approach is being taken to these discussions. The first phase was on aligning the specific pay rates with those of a grade 3 clerical officer. However, there is an understanding and an agreement by all parties that no single aspect of the claim will be regarded as resolved or conceded until agreement is reached on the resolution of all aspects. That principle will continue to apply during the course of the current talks.

There was a question on why there was an advancement in respect of school secretaries. The necessary data have been collected on secretaries and therefore there has been an advancement in respect of them. Fewer data are available on caretakers. Data need to be collected so there will be clarity on the caretaker issue. It has been acknowledged that, in principle, what applies to one category applies to the other.

There has been great co-operation on the part of all concerned, and a generosity and willingness to come to the table to engage in discussion and find the pathway forward. The most positive aspect of this has been the willingness of all concerned to address the issues as they need to be addressed and to do so as expeditiously as possible. I appreciate the points made by previous speakers on the time span but it is our wish to bring this to a conclusion as soon as we possibly can.

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