Eoghan Kenny: Calls for Pension Parity for School Staff

I want to thank Minister Michael Moynan for securing a school bus for Rann National School, an absolute essential, and I want to thank him for that work. And I know we've worked extremely closely on that school bus. But Minister, I want to focus... No doubt there'll be a list from members. The bus has just come, the bus has just come. Minister, I want to focus in on our secretaries and caretakers across this country and the pension parity and leave entitlements for those secretaries and caretakers. Thank you, Deputy. Thank you for the kind comments. And I know it's the but at the end of it. But, you know, I do... In my role here over the last number of months, I have seen right across the Chamber the commitment to education from all of the spokespersons, but indeed members of the House as well. And indeed, you did a huge amount of work as well in relation to the Rahan bus. And that is as deputies and all of us should be doing because the future of our people rests very much on education as well and how to get education. So we're delighted to work with you on that. The schools' secretaries and caretakers are at the heart of the schools and they are the key interface between students, parents and school leaders and other team within the schools. They play a pivotal role and should be treated with the same respect as it is afforded to all other members of the school staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we're also supporting the school community as a whole. The Department is committed to ensuring that school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity of availing of a similar package which was offered to the school secretaries in front of an agreement reached in the Workplace Relations Commission in 2022. My department has been engaging with FORSA over the past number of weeks under the auspices of the WRC and with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in relation to a number of claims, including a claim for comparative pension entitlements. The matter has now been referred to the Labour Court and a hearing will take place on 12 January 2026. The parties remain in progress and my department remains committed and ready to engage with FORSA to reach a resolution on this important matter. The Deputy will understand that with any industrial relations process where engagement is sensitive and complex, the matters under discussion are confidential until this process concludes. Thank you very much, Minister. I suppose, first of all, in relation to the same package being offered to caretakers that was agreed with secretaries, that package is a complete load of rubbish. So I wouldn't even offer it to the caretakers because I think it's out of complete disrespect. I wouldn't offer it to them. Minister, I know this absolutely firsthand and you know I know it. I live at home with my grandmother who has been a secretary for nearly 30 years, the longest-serving staff member in St. Patrick's Boys National School in Mallow and she will not be entitled to a pension. And that's the difficulty here. She's a 70-year-old minister. She doesn't feel like she can retire because of that income. And that's the same for a lot of secretaries and caretakers right across this country. So I'm asking you, Minister, because it has been to the Labour Court, it's been to the WRC, to see what engagement is the department having with the secretaries and caretakers and with FOSA. You indicated there that there's a possible resolution that the department are going to come up with. Can you answer me? What is that resolution that the department are putting forward? Minister? I suppose, to be absolutely fair, right, there is a Labour Court hearing taking place on the 12th of January of 2026. And it would be against all procedures to come in here and to undermine the negotiations that are ongoing, undermine the detailed work that's going on. But as I said at the outset, I understand the caretakers and secretaries, and I do understand your personal involvement in it as well. And to complement your grandmother and others who have kept education running in many communities, like when you walk into the school, the school secretary is the person that's actually running, knows the heartbeat of the school. But we have engagement between the department ourselves, the FOSA and the public expenditure, as would be the case in these issues. But the matter is before the Labour Court on the 12th of January. And I think it is important that we allow that process to continue to ensure that, and, you know, the department very much values both caretakers and secretaries across the school system. From Margaret, Lasky and Coral, and Minister, I appreciate the response, and I'm sure my grandmother would appreciate the kind comments as well. But, Minister, what we don't want is what happened at the beginning of this academic year, where we have secretaries and caretakers outside our schools, outside this doll chamber, protesting for what I believe, ultimately, is fairness, dignity, respect. That's what it is. But we need to show, because we have Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael backbenchers, standing outside schools, getting into pictures, you know, showing off that they were in support of secretaries and caretakers. I don't doubt their individual bona fide is on it, but what I do doubt is this government's commitment, your department and the Department of Public Expenditure, both departments' commitment to providing that respect, dignity, equality to those very much, those secretaries and caretakers across this country. And it's predominantly women as well, Minister, that are affected by this. And it's of an older generation. Do not let these secretaries and caretakers down. I plead with you on that. Let this be your involvement in this department. Let this be your legacy in this department. Securing respect, dignity and entitlements to all secretaries and caretakers across the country. We're very much within the department and across government as well. And I think across the House, in terms of the secretaries and caretakers, you would, earlier this year, when there was an industrial action, yes, many people stood, because they actually do understand and accept that the importance of the caretakers and the secretaries within the school communities. And it's important that we give that voice too, right across the House, whether in government or in opposition, that we give a voice to it, because it gives a clear indication as well to us and to the department of the strength of support that they have across the House. But as I said, ongoing engagement is with the Labour Court at the moment on the 12th of January. And I can assure you that, you know, we are very committed to finding a meaningful resolution and making sure that the caretakers and secretaries' role within the school communities are very much appreciated and understood the importance of them. Geoffrey O'Rourke.