Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Brendan Smith, says that striking school secretaries are rightly incensed at the ambivalence shown to them by Education Minister Joe McHugh.

Deputy Smith joined with school secretaries on Friday to support their one-day strike to highlight their campaign for proper pay and conditions.

“The Minister needs to listen to striking school secretaries. From joining the picket line on Friday with school secretaries locally it’s abundantly clear that the Minister for Education isn’t listening to them.

“The ask is clear and totally reasonable – school secretaries want equal pay for equal work. At the moment, two people doing the same job, to the same quality, in the same workplace in County Cavan and County Monaghan, earn vastly different amounts.

“With work to rule action commencing this morning, schools are going to be under huge pressure. The day-to-day running of schools is coordinated by the school secretaries. They are expected to take on huge responsibilities, from assisting principals with complex administration and pay-roll, to organising fundraising for school events and assisting in student welfare.

“I have repeatedly raised in the Dáil the need for fairness and equality for our school secretaries.

“The Minister has recognised the problem, he has acknowledged the solution, it’s time for him to deliver it,” concluded Deputy Smith.