Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to pay school secretaries directly from her Department rather than from the school grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8483/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary and secondary schools under two separate schemes. One is the 1978 scheme under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. These secretaries are paid directly through my Department's payroll. The 1978 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created.

The 1978 scheme has been superseded by a more extensive school support grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools, including secretarial services. The scheme is flexible in nature, giving boards of management and schools discretion as to the manner in which secretarial services are provided. There are no plans to pay the school secretaries funded under this scheme directly through my Department's payroll.