Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of school secretaries employed under the 1978 scheme as of 30 September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47783/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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A scheme was initiated in 1978/79 for the employment of Clerical Officers in primary and post primary schools.

Currently there are 156 primary and 111 post primary whole time equivalent Clerical Officers (School Secretaries) employed in schools under the 1978 scheme and paid through my Department’s payroll.

The 1978/79 scheme has been superseded by a more extensive capitation grant scheme towards the funding of ancillary services in schools which is also operated within my Department.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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201. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions taken to date to identify and address issues in funding school secretaries and caretakers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47784/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Though schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of Clerical Officers and Caretakers in primary and secondary schools, where staff employed on these schemes are paid directly by the Department, these schemes have been largely phased out and have been superseded by the more extensive capitation grant schemes.

Under these schemes, the majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools in the Free Education Scheme now receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services. Within the schemes, it is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs. Where a school uses the capitation grant funding to employ a secretary or caretaker, such staff are employees of individual schools.

My Department has recently made significant efforts to improve the pay of School Secretaries and Caretakers who are employed using capitation grant assistance. In 2015 my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries on negotiations and agreed to enter an independent arbitration process on the issue. 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.  Following the arbitration process, grant funding used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff is being improved on a phased basis between 2016 and 2019 in order to enable schools to implement the arbitration outcome.

I am personally very much aware of this as an issue and the important role that School Secretaries and Caretakers play in the running of schools.