Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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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.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I am keenly aware of the vital role contributed by school secretaries in our school communities. I absolutely recognise the very important work carried out by these staff and other support staff in the running of our schools. I have met Fórsa, which represents many of the secretaries working in our schools.

In recognition of their valuable role in our schools I have put in place special arrangements for the coming year, whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of contracting serious illness from Covid-19 cannot work on the school premises.

I have also extended the employment assistance scheme towards school staff including secretaries. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions, those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment actually rests with the schools.

On foot of a chairman's note to the Lansdowne Road agreement, my Department implemented the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator. The arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period. Last year, the trade union, Fórsa, tabled a follow-on claim from the 2015 agreement. Officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, as well as school management bodies, are currently in discussions with Fórsa under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission.

I must remain cognisant of the implications arising from this claim across the wider education and public sector. An offer of a pay increase was made to Fórsa at a recent Workplace Relations Commission meeting but this was not acceptable to the union. The Workplace Relations Commission process remains ongoing.

In the current circumstances, Fórsa's intention to resume strike action later this month is regrettable. Any such action will impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at this most critical time. It could further disrupt tuition for students who have only recently returned to school after a six-month gap.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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On the pay offer that was made, at a meeting of the Workplace Relations Commission last week, the Department repeated an offer of a previous 1.5% increase per annum which the union had previously and rightly rejected. Department officials said they could not agree to a Labour Court referral, despite a commitment made by the former Minister last year. It is not fair to tell school secretaries who are living off €12,500 a year that they should wait until the pandemic is over when they have been involved in this dispute since long before it began. That is manipulating the situation to the benefit of the State. It is unfortunate that this has been done.

Will the Minister do what her predecessor had already agreed? Will she use the mechanisms of the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court to address this issue with Fórsa? Given how valuable school secretaries are to the day-to-day running of schools, their action will have more support than we imagine. In three weeks' time, I imagine all the education spokespeople will be back here but they will be a little more vociferous in asking how such action was allowed to happen.

Will the Minister use the Workplace Relations Commission mechanisms that are already in place? The behaviour of her officials last week in the commission was unfortunate and quite insulting. It was a turning of the ship from what had already been agreed to. We need to get in front of this because the disrespect that has been shown to school secretaries, who have been asked to live off a wage none of us would ever agree to, is dismissive. I do not mean shown by the Minister personally but by the Department. I appeal to the Minister to demonstrate the leadership required to address this issue before the schools have to close.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Officials in the Department of Education and Skills have engaged with Fórsa throughout this process and remain committed to the ongoing process taking place under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. It is disappointing that in circumstances where talks are actually ongoing, the union has moved to industrial action, which will impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at this most critical time.

On the matter of the Labour Court referral raised at the recent Workplace Relations Commission meeting, I must point out in the interest of fairness that several technical issues exist in respect of such a referral, as neither the Department nor the management bodies are the employers of the staff in question.

I thank the Deputy for raising these points.