Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the implementation of the new pay deal for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14188/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, a very significant agreement was reached between my Department and Forsa, the union representing school secretaries and caretakers. This deal, which was reached after extensive engagement between the Department and Fórsa, provides for significant improvements in the terms and conditions of school secretaries. Fórsa agreed to recommend the package of measures to its members and a ballot resulted in 95% agreement in favour of the deal.

Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to implement this agreement has been ongoing in my Department. As part of the agreement, my Department is progressing the establishment of a central payroll service for school secretaries. Implementation of the agreement and establishment of the central payroll service requires data to be collected and analysed in order for each individual school secretary to be paid.

Last year, my Department issued circular 36/2022 to schools and this circular outlines how the agreement is to be implemented. This includes the requirement that, as part of the first phase of implementation of the agreement, schools had to, by the end of September 2022, calculate the initial assimilation rate of pay and annual leave entitlement due and offer it to each individual secretary working in their school. Entry into the new pay arrangements is voluntary for existing members of staff.

Following this initial process, a survey issued from the payroll division of my Department to all schools on the 7th November 2022, seeking details of the offers made by schools to their secretaries, and other information required to bring a secretary on to the payroll service. The survey closed in December and I’m pleased to say that there has been a very high response rate from schools.

Based on the returns received, nearly 2,850 secretaries have accepted the offer made by their schools in line with the methodology set out in Circular 36/2022.

A small number of schools have still to respond to the survey and my Department is following up with these schools to ensure the survey is completed.

The next phases of implementation include:

- the calculation of back pay to September 2021

- the incorporation of national pay increases and increments into pay rates

- the annualisation of pay rates for secretaries who do not wish to apply for social protection benefits during school closures

- payment of backpay to individuals via the current grant process

The Department will continue to work with schools and school secretaries to implement the agreement. The plan is that Secretaries who have accepted the offer made to them by their schools will be paid on the Department’s payroll service from 1st September 2023. This payroll operates on a fortnightly basis and the first date of payment is scheduled for the 14th September.

In that regard, the Department is planning to contact school secretaries directly in May to request bank details for payment set-up, and with information regarding access to payslips via the Digital PostBox.

I want to assure the Deputy that implementation of the agreement is a top priority for my Department in 2023 and work will continue to progress the various elements of the agreement in consultation with Fórsa, school management and school secretaries.