27 May 2024

Minister Foley advances process to resolve the claim by school caretakers

Press Release 27 May 2024

Minister for Education Norma Foley is today announcing a critical step in the process to resolve the claim by school caretakers.

A survey is being issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools regarding school caretakers, following the successful implementation of a range of measures on the terms and conditions (including the provision of a payroll service) for school secretaries,

Caretakers are employed directly by many of the 3,089 primary schools and 722 post-primary schools. The purpose of the survey is to gather information from schools who employ grant-funded caretakers regarding the current rates of pay and hours worked by caretakers. As caretakers are employed by schools, it is necessary for the Department to engage with the school sector to gather this important information. This is also the process which was used in relation to school secretaries. This survey will facilitate further engagement with Forsa – the union representing school caretakers.

Minister Foley said: “I recognise the very important work carried out by school caretakers and the valuable contribution they make to their school communities.

“The information gathered as part of this survey will play an important part in understanding the individual working conditions of caretakers and will enable officials in my Department to make progress on resolving this claim. I urge every school to play their part in ensuring that we have comprehensive and robust information to inform this very important work."

Schools will be emailed a link to the electronic survey and asked to complete it by Friday 14 June 2024. The Department is asking all schools for their assistance in completing the survey by this date.

Próiseas curtha chun cinn ag an Aire Foley chun an t-éileamh ó fheighlithe scoile a réiteach

Preasráiteas 27 Bealtaine 2024

Tá céim chriticiúil sa phróiseas á fógairt inniu ag an Aire Oideachais Norma Foley chun an t-éileamh ó fheighlithe scoile a réiteach.

Tá suirbhé á eisiúint chuig gach bunscoil agus iar-bhunscoil aitheanta maidir le feighlithe scoile, tar éis raon beart a chur i bhfeidhm go rathúil maidir leis na téarmaí agus coinníollacha (lena n-áirítear seirbhís párolla a sholáthar) do rúnaithe scoile,

Tá feighlithe fostaithe go díreach ag go leor de na 3,089 bunscoil agus 722 iar-bhunscoil. Is é cuspóir an tsuirbhé eolas a bhailiú ó scoileanna a fhostaíonn feighlithe a fhaigheann maoiniú deontais maidir leis na rátaí reatha pá agus na huaireanta a oibríonn feighlithe. Ós rud é go bhfuil feighlithe fostaithe ag scoileanna, is gá don Roinn dul i dteagmháil le hearnáil na scoile chun an t-eolas tábhachtach seo a bhailiú. Is é seo an próiseas a úsáideadh maidir le rúnaithe scoile freisin. Éascóidh an suirbhé seo tuilleadh rannpháirtíochta le Forsa – an ceardchumann a dhéanann ionadaíocht ar son feighlithe scoile.

Dúirt an tAire Foley: "Aithním an obair an-tábhachtach a dhéanann feighlithe scoile agus an cúnamh luachmhar a thugann siad dá bpobail scoile.

"Beidh ról tábhachtach ag an eolas a bhaileofar mar chuid den suirbhé seo maidir le tuiscint a fháil ar dhálaí oibre aonair feighlithe agus cuirfidh sé ar chumas oifigeach i mo Roinn dul chun cinn a dhéanamh maidir leis an éileamh seo a réiteach. Táim a iarraidh ar gach scoil a gcion féin a dhéanamh lena chinntiú go bhfuil eolas cuimsitheach agus láidir againn chun bonn eolais a chur faoin obair thábhachtach seo."

Seolfar nasc don suirbhé leictreonach chuig scoileanna agus iarrfar orthu é a chomhlánú faoin Aoine 14 Meitheamh 2024. Tá an Roinn ag iarraidh ar gach scoil cúnamh a thabhairt chun an suirbhé a chomhlánú faoin dáta seo.

Contact Information

Department of Education Press Office
press@education.gov.ie

Notes to editors

In February 2022, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), a package to settle a claim on terms and conditions for grant-funded school secretaries was proposed. A ballot was subsequently undertaken and the deal was accepted by Fórsa’s membership.

The package agreed also included the provision of a payroll service. The Department is providing this service for school secretaries since 1 September 2023.

Negotiations on a similar deal for school caretakers will shortly commence.

The package agreed also included the provision of a payroll service. The Department is providing this service for school secretaries since 1 September 2023. There are currently 2,745 individual secretaries on payroll, covering 2,984 school secretary positions. 203 secretaries have multiple employments.

Offers by schools to secretaries under Circular 0036/2022:

Circular 0036/2022 was issued by the Department June 2022. The Board of Management of each school was requested to offer the school secretary the option of accepting the revised terms and conditions which included payment of salary by the Department. The circular provided information on the pay rates and annual leave entitlements which assisted School Secretaries with the decision-making process on whether to accept the revised terms and conditions including a payroll service. Offers to secretaries by schools was completed by schools by the end of September 2022.

73 per cent of school secretaries accepted the offer for revised terms and conditions with 27 per cent not accepting the offers. There are 808 secretaries who opted-out of the new arrangements.

The Department is currently finalising arrangements to give previously opted-out secretaries a further opportunity to accept the agreement and be onboarded to payroll from September 2024.

NÓTAÍ:

I mí Feabhra 2022, tar éis sraith coinní ag an gCoimisiún um Chaidreamh san Áit Oibre (WRC), moladh pacáiste chun éileamh a shocrú ar théarmaí agus coinníollacha do rúnaithe scoile a fhaigheann maoiniú deontais. Reáchtáladh ballóid ina dhiaidh sin agus ghlac ballraíocht Fórsa leis an socrú.

Áiríodh sa phacáiste a comhaontaíodh freisin soláthar seirbhíse párolla. Tá an tseirbhís seo á cur ar fáil ag an Roinn do rúnaithe scoile ón 1 Meán Fómhair 2023.

Cuirfear tús go luath leis an idirbheartaíocht maidir le socrú den chineál céanna d'fheighlithe scoile.

Áiríodh sa phacáiste a comhaontaíodh freisin soláthar seirbhíse párolla. Tá an tseirbhís seo á cur ar fáil ag an Roinn do rúnaithe scoile ón 1 Meán Fómhair 2023. Tá 2,745 rúnaí aonair ar an bpárolla faoi láthair, a chlúdaíonn 2,984 post mar rúnaí scoile. Tá poist iomadúla ag 203 rúnaí.

Tairiscintí ó scoileanna do rúnaithe faoi Imlitir 0036/2022:

D'eisigh an Roinn Imlitir 0036/2022 i mí an Mheitheamh 2022. Iarradh ar Bhord Bainistíochta gach scoile an rogha a thairiscint do rúnaí na scoile glacadh leis na téarmaí agus coinníollacha athbhreithnithe lena n-áirítear íocaíocht tuarastail ag an Roinn. Chuir an ciorclán eolas ar fáil ar na rátaí pá agus teidlíochtaí saoire bliantúla a chabhraigh le Rúnaithe Scoile leis an bpróiseas cinnteoireachta maidir le cé acu ar cheart nó nár cheart glacadh leis na téarmaí agus coinníollacha athbhreithnithe lena n-áirítear seirbhís párolla. Chuir scoileanna tairiscintí do rúnaithe scoileanna i gcrích faoi dheireadh mhí Mheán Fómhair 2022.

Ghlac 73 faoin gcéad de na rúnaithe scoile leis an tairiscint ar théarmaí agus coinníollacha athbhreithnithe agus níor ghlac 27 faoin gcéad leis na tairiscintí. Tá 808 rúnaí ann a dhiúltaigh do na socruithe nua.

Tá socruithe á gcur i gcrích ag an Roinn faoi láthair chun deis eile a thabhairt do rúnaithe a dhiúltaigh roimhe seo glacadh leis an gcomhaontú agus a bheith ionduchtaithe chuig an bpárolla ó mhí Mheán Fómhair 2024.