Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Department of Education and Science has no plans to employ directly caretakers and secretaries. The scheme that has existed since 1978 is being phased out. The money given to each school is provided on a discretionary basis, so the school decides whether to employ people for three or five hours, for example. The money provided would allow primary schools to employ a secretary for four and a half hours per day and the working day is only five hours and 20 minutes. All employers are obliged to comply with employment legislation and their attention is especially drawn to the pay rates.