Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school secretaries employed by boards of management and paid from the ancillary services grant; the number who are on the 1978-79 scheme and paid directly by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29366/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of school secretaries and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of secretarial needs required for the school. Funding to cater for these needs is made available from my Department under two separate schemes.

One is the 1978/79 scheme under which the school secretaries are paid directly through the payroll operated by my Department. The 1978/79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. There are currently 186 secretaries currently employed under this scheme.

The 1978/79 scheme has been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools. Within the grant programme, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply their own arrangements for secretarial services as resources permit. My Department does not have any direct role in the pay and conditions under which they are engaged. Given that employment of school secretaries is dealt with at local school level, my Department does not have a central record of the number of school secretaries funded by the ancillary services grant in each of the over 3,000 primary schools.

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills with reference to circular number 0076/2015, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that €20,000 per annum disparity exists between the highest and lowest paid school secretary for the same job; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29367/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A scheme was initiated in 1978 for the employment of Clerical Officers in primary and secondary schools. While a small number of these staff remain in schools, the schemes are being phased out and have been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive capitation grant assistance to provide for secretarial (and caretaking and cleaning services). Within the capitation grant schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs and the Department does not stipulate how such services are to be obtained. Where a school uses the capitation grant funding to employ a secretary (or caretaker or cleaner), such staff are employees of individual schools. My Department therefore 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.

Notwithstanding the above, in 2015 my Department agreed to engage with the union side in relation to the pay of School Secretaries and Caretakers who are employed using grant funding and to enter an arbitration process if necessary. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for School Secretaries and Caretakers comprehended by the terms of the arbitration process and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 for such staff be phased in over the period 2016 to 2019.

The Arbitrator's recommendations were accepted by both sides. My Department issued Circulars to schools which gave effect to the measures which applied from 1 January 2016 (i.e. an increase of 2.5% in the hourly pay rate and the introduction of a minimum hourly rate of €10.25) to School Secretaries and Caretakers comprehended by the terms of the arbitration process and also revised grant rates. Staff who were not comprehended by the Arbitrator's recommendations will benefit from the pay restoration measures contained in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015.