Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how school secretaries have migrated under her Department since being added to payroll services with effect from 1 September 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40613/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is providing a payroll service for school secretaries with effect from 1^st September 2023. There are currently 3,113 individual secretaries on payroll, covering 3,363 school secretary positions. 216 secretaries have multiple employments and are working in more than one school.

In line with the provisions contained in Circular 0036/2022, new secretary appointments after 1st September 2023 will be automatically subject to the new arrangements and will be paid through the Department’s payroll on an annualised basis (e.g., contracted for 39 weeks and paid over 52 weeks).

Approximately 800 existing (i.e. pre-September 2023) secretaries elected to remain outside the terms of the agreement, and off payroll. It has been agreed that prior to the beginning of each school year, any remaining opted-out secretaries will be given an opportunity to accept the terms and conditions of the agreement and assimilation to the payroll. 242 secretaries opted to accept the terms of the agreement in September 2024 and joined the Department’s payroll, leaving approximately 525 secretaries who remain opted-out.