Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the work that is under way to improve pay for school caretakers; the stage that the process is at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59047/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School caretakers are valued members of our schools and I am fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and post-primary schools receive assistance to provide for caretaker services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.

Fórsa trade union had tabled a claim in 2019 seeking parity of these staff with ETB public service staff. Extensive engagement has taken place since then between the Department and school management bodies with Forsa to work towards a resolution with the support of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

On the 24th February this year, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot was undertaken and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal. I was very pleased to hear of this overwhelmingly positive result on this long running issue, the resolution of which has been a priority for me since my appointment.

It is my intention to ensure that school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity to avail of this deal also but, as recognised in the WRC process there remains a deficit of data on the working terms and conditions of caretakers. Work is currently in progress to gather comprehensive data in respect of school secretaries and it will be necessary to undertake a separate, similar process in respect of caretakers: this will be progressed as soon as practicable.