Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 388: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason some primary school secretaries are paid indirectly by way of an ancillary grant to the school per child, while other school secretaries are paid directly by her Department; if those paid by way of an ancillary grant are at a disadvantage in view of the fact that PRSI has to be paid by the school first and that pupil numbers in a school can fall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22650/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary 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 and no new posts are being created under the scheme. The new Ancillary Services Grant scheme has superseded the 1978 scheme.

The new Ancillary Services grant scheme is a more extensive scheme covering the funding of ancillary services in primary 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.

Under the new scheme the arrangement is that each school receives a grant from my Department for the provision of secretarial and other ancillary services. It is a matter for each school to determine how best to meet its secretarial requirements. My Department has no direct role in the pay and conditions of service of secretaries employed directly by schools under these arrangements.