Written answers

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Department of Education and Science

School Services Staff

10:00 am

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 656: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will recognise the salaries, entitlements and pensions and so on of primary school secretaries; the number of primary school secretaries employed by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29531/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Boards of Management of primary schools are responsible for the employment of school secretaries and my Department provides funding towards the cost of school secretaries in Primary schools under two separate schemes.

One is the 1978/79 scheme under which my Department meets the full cost of salary and the school secretaries are paid directly through my Department's payroll. They have access to a Pension Scheme and other entitlements. The 1978/79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. There were 193 primary school secretaries on my Department's payroll on 31st March 2010.

The 1978/79 scheme has been superseded by a more extensive school support grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools including secretarial services.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 these services are provided. With regard to salaries for secretaries, a forum has been set up with the aim of establishing the position in schools regarding the terms and conditions of employment of school secretaries. The forum is jointly chaired by my Department and the Department of Finance and includes the relevant management bodies and the unions involved.

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