Dublin, Ireland – Education Minister Helen McEntee has voiced her concern over the impending indefinite strike by school secretaries and caretakers, expressing her hope that an agreement can be reached to prevent disruption before schools reopen.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Minister McEntee emphasized the integral role of school secretaries, stating, “I don’t want to see secretaries striking – secretaries I know don’t want to strike, so I really do hope that we can reach an agreement.” She highlighted that schools “don’t function” without them.
The minister revealed that she has asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to intervene in the long-running dispute, believing it to be the “best mechanism” for resolving such issues. While acknowledging the frustration of the workers, she pointed to “really good progress” made in recent years, including bringing secretaries onto the Department of Education payroll and linking their pay to public sector wages.
Thousands of school secretaries and caretakers, represented by the union Fórsa, are scheduled to begin strike action on Thursday. The union claims its members are treated as “second-class staff” compared to other school employees like teachers and special needs assistants. A significant 98% of its members have voted in favor of indefinite strike action.
While the minister’s comments focused on secretaries, she did not mention caretakers. Unions warn that schools, particularly smaller primary schools where caretakers are the sole keyholders, could face closure or significant disruption if the strike proceeds.
In response, Labour’s education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny has urged Minister McEntee to intervene directly, calling the dispute a matter of “equality, fairness and basic employment rights.” He criticized the “deafening silence” from the Minister and her department, which he says has failed to acknowledge Fórsa or the workers they represent. Kenny called on McEntee to “show leadership” and resolve the dispute before students return to classrooms after the summer break.
