Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 576: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has proposals to improve the position of school secretaries employed in national schools; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many other workers in schools such as special needs assistants are now in permanent pensionable and recognised positions with an incremental scale, and that many secretaries working for long periods in school have no recognition, no permanent structure of employment and no access to increments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12517/07]

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 scheme is the 1978/79 scheme for the employment of full-time secretaries 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 This scheme has been superseded by a more extensive grant scheme now referred to as the Ancillary Services grant.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 standard rate of grant per pupil under the Ancillary Services scheme has been increased substantially in recent years — from €102 in 2002 to €145.50 from 1st January, 2007. The amount of grant paid to an individual school is determined by the enrolment in the school.

The Ancillary Services grant scheme is flexible in nature, giving Boards of Management discretion as to the manner in which secretarial services are provided. The grants paid are not directly linked to any objective pay scales. The level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply diverse arrangements for secretarial services as resources permit. As the secretaries are employees of individual schools, my 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. There are no proposals at present to change this position.