I am looking for an update on discussions relating to school secretaries and caretakers. In my time in office, I have gone out of my way to visit as many schools throughout Wicklow and Wexford, from Riverchapel as far as Carnew. A general concern from secretaries and caretakers is that they are simply not receiving fair treatment for their key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of our schools. This involves many issues, such as equitable pay and access to public service pensions and protections, which is leading to a lack of security and financial stability on retiring. They highlighted sick pay. Incredibly, there is no entitlement to sick pay or bereavement leave. One caretaker with almost four decades of experience in the same school put it to me that SNAs and teachers would retire with their pensions and futures secured while he would walk away with simply a bunch of flowers. This is not good enough. These concerns are being replicated throughout Ireland.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I join him in acknowledging the unbelievable contribution that both secretaries and caretakers play in our school community and thank them for the work they do. Obviously in recent years, progress was made through the WRC and engagement with the secretaries to change the rate of pay and the way in which they were paid. Work is under way to follow through on that and put in place a similar structure for our caretakers. Any future requests, particularly relating to pensions, will have to be agreed across the Government - not just in my Department, but in the Department of public expenditure and reform. We will need to engage on that as a Government when making any future decisions, and not just as it affects secretaries. That engagement is happening.