Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As our schools are now closed for the summer period, it is an opportune time for us to record a vote of thanks to all those who worked so hard to ensure that our children got through a difficult educational year. Often, the unsung members of schools are those on the boards of management who help to keep both our primary and secondary schools running. It is worth noting that they do this in a totally voluntary capacity. This year has been a particularly difficult one for them because they had to get used to online meetings and additional tasks in order to open our schools and, importantly, to keep them open. They deserve our gratitude for the generous time they give in that area.

The same is true of management committees in educational centres throughout the country. There are approximately 21 full-time and nine part-time educational centres in different parts of the country. I drive past the one in Monaghan every day on my way to this House. It is always a hub of activity where continuing professional development courses and in-service training are delivered to teachers and it is a vital cog in the educational wheel. They also deserve great credit because those committees also do that in a voluntary capacity. As someone once said to me, in regard to what goes on in educational centres, "If the school is the place where children grow, the educational centre is the place where teachers grow". I wish them all the best for the weather while on summer break. Finally, I wish to raise again the issue of school secretaries. Unfortunately, as others go on their school holidays, school secretaries have to go and knock on the door of the Department of Social Protection because they will not get paid while the schools are off for the summer holidays. I thank the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for taking this issue on board and I sincerely hope this will be the last year school secretaries and caretakers will have to knock on the door of the Department of Social Protection while schools are off for the summer holidays.