Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 211: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of secondary schools which employ a caretaker on a full or part-time basis; if these caretakers are paid directly by her Department; the number who are paid through the ancillary services grant; if the ancillary services grant has been increased sufficiently in recent years to ensure that caretakers receive their due from the national wage agreements; if all caretakers have received their due under the various national wage agreements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37334/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Funding arrangements for voluntary secondary schools are structured mainly on the basis of capitation grants with additional grants for support services such as care-taking. This provides schools with considerable flexibility as to the manner in which such services are provided to cater for the needs of their pupils. Caretakers employed by schools are employees of the individual schools and my Department does not have any role in determining the numbers employed nor the terms and conditions, including pay, under which they are employed.

Significant improvements have been made in the level of funding to secondary schools. I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my recent announcement, in the context of the 2006 estimates, that the standard per capita grant which stood at €266 per pupil will be increased by a further €12 to €298 per pupil from January next. Secondary schools will also benefit, under the school services support fund initiative, from further significant increases in the support services grant. The support grant that was increased for secondary schools from €131 per pupil in January last to €145 per pupil, will be increased by a further €14 per pupil to €159 per pupil in January next. These grants are in addition to the per capita funding of up to €40,000 per school that is provided by my Department to secondary schools towards secretarial and care-taking services.

Schools have welcomed these improvements. The provision that I have made, in the context of the 2006 Estimates, for these increases in the funding of voluntary secondary schools is a clear demonstration of my commitment to prioritise available resources towards enabling schools to meet their commitments.