Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools identified as non-compliant with the provisions of the 2015 Arbitration Agreement in relation to school secretaries and caretakers employed by the schools through the capitation grant scheme from 2019 to date in 2022, by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52454/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Most schools hire secretarial and secretarial and caretaking services under grant schemes and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school. As a result, my Department does not hold data on such staff.

On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries and caretakers, including through an independent arbitration process in 2015. The increases recommended by the Arbitrator were binding and must be applied by all schools who employ staff to whom the Arbitrator’s recommendation applies.    Additional monies were made available to fund this increase and the process was set out in a number of circulars issued to schools.

In 2019, following a survey, some 71 (10% of respondents) schools who responded appeared to be not in compliance with the decision. These were again written to reminding them of the obligations. Just 17% of schools responded so a breakdown at county level is not statistically significant. It should be noted that some schools confirmed there had been a calculation error and the secretary was in fact paid in compliance with the decision. 

My Department will be gathering data on school secretaries from schools in the near future as part of the implementation of the recent agreement on school secretary terms and conditions. This data will be analysed and where there appears to be issues of compliance with the decision my Department will bring this to the school's attention.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of voluntary secondary schools and private schools which receive assistance in the form of the capitation grant to provide for secretarial caretaking services from 2019 to date in 2022, by county in tabular form; the system used to decide the allocation to each school to allow them to meet the particular needs of their school; the supervision utilised to ensure that persons employed in these roles are appropriately renumerated and have the relevant employment conditions applied in each situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52455/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to all recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services/ school services support fund (SSSF) grants. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management has the flexibility to allocate according to its own priorities.

In addition to the above, Voluntary Secondary Schools receive Secretarial and Caretaker Grants. Schools employing secretaries or caretakers under the 1978 scheme do not receive these Secretary/Caretaker grants.

Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of grant funded ancillary staff and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of ancillary services required.

The amount paid to an individual school is determined by the school’s enrolment.

Fee charging schools do not receive capitation or ancillary grants from my Department.

Further information is available in the relevant circulars on my Departments website at the links below.

Voluntary Secondary schools capitation grant 0052/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

Voluntary Secondary schools support services grant 0082/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Schools Support Staff Funding Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

The table below shows the number of Voluntary Secondary Schools which received capitation and SSSF grants in the years 2019 to date. The information is not readily available by county at this time.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount made available to pay school caretakers in respect of the capitation grant scheme from 2019 to date in 2022, by county in tabular form. [52456/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to all recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services/ school services support fund (SSSF) grants. These grants may be regarded as a common grant, from which the Board of Management has the flexibility to allocate, according to its own priorities. Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of grant funded ancillary staff and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of ancillary services required.

The amount paid to an individual school is determined by the school’s enrolment.

Further information is available in the relevant circulars on my Departments website at the links below.

Primary capitation grant circular 0038/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for recognised Primary Schools in 2020 (www.gov.ie)

Primary ancillary services Circular 0017/2021- gov.ie - Revision of Grant Rates in 2021 for Boards of Management of Recognised Primary Schools or by ETBs in Community National Schools using Ancillary Services Grant funding (www.gov.ie)

Voluntary Secondary schools capitation grant 0052/2020- gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

Voluntary Secondary schools support services grant 0082/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Schools Support Staff Funding Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

The tables below include the expenditure for capitation related grants for Primary and Voluntary Secondary Schools for the period of 2019 to date. The information is not readily available by county at this time.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount made available to pay school secretaries in respect of the capitation grant scheme from 2019 to date in 2022, by county in tabular form. [52457/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to all recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services/ school services support fund (SSSF) grants. These grants may be regarded as a common grant, from which the Board of Management has the flexibility to allocate, according to its own priorities. Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of grant funded ancillary staff and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of ancillary services required.

The amount paid to an individual school is determined by the school’s enrolment.

Further information is available in the relevant circulars on my Departments website at the links below.

Primary capitation grant circular 0038/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for recognised Primary Schools in 2020 (www.gov.ie)

Primary ancillary services Circular 0017/2021- gov.ie - Revision of Grant Rates in 2021 for Boards of Management of Recognised Primary Schools or by ETBs in Community National Schools using Ancillary Services Grant funding (www.gov.ie)

Voluntary Secondary schools capitation grant 0052/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Capitation Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

Voluntary Secondary schools support services grant 0082/2020 - gov.ie - Revision of Schools Support Staff Funding Grant Rates for Voluntary Secondary Schools in the Free Education Scheme (www.gov.ie)

The tables below include the expenditure for capitation related grants for Primary and Voluntary Secondary Schools for the period of 2019 to date. The information is not readily available by county at this time.