Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 33 of 25 September 2024, if the analysis of the survey relating to school caretakers’ work pattern, terms and conditions has been completed and reviewed by her Department; if the Minister or her officials have or intend to engage with the relevant union representing school caretakers on foot of the survey; the indicative timeframe for any such engagement; if a report of the survey responses will be published by the Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44351/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the February 2022 agreement the implementation of revised salary and annual leave entitlements for school secretaries is now fully operational, and lessons learned from that process are now playing a key role in the drafting and implementation of a similar deal to be offered to grant funded school caretakers. The Department committed, as part of the agreement, to ensuring that school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity to avail a similar package offered to school secretaries of revised salary and annual leave entitlements in the near future.

A survey was issued to schools for completion at the end of the 2023/24 school year. Work is still ongoing to analyse the data that has been gathered. This information will enable my officials to confirm their understanding of the current working patterns as well as terms and conditions of work for school caretakers. The Department are also actively in communication with Fórsa on this important matter, matters discussed have contributed to a clearer understanding of the variety of terms and conditions of employment that exist for caretakers in our schools.

Once work has been completed in assessing the information obtained from this initial survey the Department will then be in a position to progress this claim further.