Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 693: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if any scheme exists within her Department whereby a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be assisted with additional funds to allow it to employ a full-time caretaker and full-time secretary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19153/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy receives funding under the ancillary services grant scheme towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services.

The standard rate of grant per pupil under the scheme, which applies in the case of the school in question, was increased from €102 to €127 per pupil in 2004 and is being further increased to €133 per pupil this year. The scheme is flexible in nature, giving boards of management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided.

This is the only scheme under which the school in question may receive funding for secretarial or caretaking services.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 694: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the guidelines in place for boards of management of primary schools employing full-time caretakers from the point of view of age; if such caretakers are obliged to retire at age 65; if she has received a submission from a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5 on behalf of its caretaker who wishes to remain on, in view of the fact that there is no one else available to fill the position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19159/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Full-time caretakers employed under my Department's 1979 scheme who have been appointed since 1 August 1990 are obliged to retire on reaching the age of 65.

The school referred to by the Deputy employs a caretaker who is due to retire on 6 November 2005. A submission from the school was received by my Department on 1 March 2005. It requested that the caretaker be retained past his 65th birthday. A letter issued to the board of management of the school on 2 March 2005 from my Department advising it that the caretaker could be retained by the school until the end of the first school term of the 2005-06 school year.