Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she is satisfied that the pay and conditions of school secretaries and caretakers whose posts are paid through grant-aid to schools are generally in compliance with labour law and national social partnership agreements; and if she will undertake to investigate such conditions by inviting submissions from such personnel and producing a report on the appropriateness of arrangements for this group of workers. [12794/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding towards the cost of providing secretarial and caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of full-time secretaries and caretakers in primary schools, under which the Department meets the full cost of salary. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new ones are being created. This has been superseded by a scheme now referred to as the ancillary services grant.

The ancillary services grant scheme is flexible in nature, giving boards of management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided. The Department does not stipulate any rules concerning how secretarial or caretaking services are to be obtained by the school. It is a matter for the individual school to decide how best to apply the funding to suit the school's particular needs. In this regard it should be noted that the grant aid may be used by a school to provide both secretarial and caretaking services or, if a school so wishes, it may decide to use the grant aid in its entirety in respect of one service only. The secretaries and caretakers are employees of individual schools. The Department does not have any role in determining the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. These are matters to be agreed between the staff concerned and the school authorities. The standard rate of grant per pupil under the scheme, which was increased from €102 in 2002 to €127 in 2004, was increased by a further €6 to €133 in 2005. The rate has been increased by a further €6 this year bringing the rate to €139 per pupil.

Boards of management of individual schools are expected to comply with employment legislation and to this end have been directed by way of circular that any queries they may have as regards employment legislation should be addressed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment at 01-6312121, Lo-call 1890 22 02 22, or www.entemp.ie.

It is not proposed to seek submissions or produce a report on this matter as suggested by the Deputy.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her estimate of the cost in a full year of replacing the current grant aid system in respect of school secretaries and caretakers with a system whereby such personnel are employed directly by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12793/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding towards the cost of providing secretarial and caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978-79 scheme for the employment of full-time secretaries and caretakers in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. This scheme has been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme now referred to as the ancillary services grant.

The ancillary services grant scheme is flexible in nature, giving boards of management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial and caretaking services are provided.

The standard rate of grant per pupil under the scheme, which was increased from €102 in 2002 to €127 in 2004, was increased by a further €6 to €133 in 2005. The rate is being increased by a further €6 this year bringing the rate to €139.

My Department does not have details of the number of secretaries or caretakers employed by boards of management of individual schools as the provision of caretaking-secretarial services, and the manner in which the services are provided, are matters for each individual board to arrange. In the circumstances it is not possible to provide the estimate requested by the Deputy. I have no plans to place school secretaries and caretakers on my Department's payroll.