Our school reopened on Wednesday with our new Junior Infants starting along with all other classes. This year is very different because from today our school secretary is forced to make a stand with her union members on pension provision for school secretaries. Our new Junior infants ,  their parents and indeed all our pupils and staff sorely miss our wonderful,  school secretary to all – Carmel Kernan, who along with many others were left with no choice but to resort to indefinite strike action as mandated by 98% of their union. We hope that our government will truly value their contribution to school life all day everyday.
However we are in full solidarity with our school secretary, a member of Fórsa, who is on indefinite strike with over 2,600 secretaries  nationally.
Many school secretaries and school caretakers whose wages are paid by the Department of Education in a grant to our Board of Management do not have pension parity with other school employees which is very unfair.All teaching and SNA staff wages are paid directly to staff and not through a grant with pension entitlements.

Secretaries and Caretaker through Fórsa are protesting for parity of pension provision as indirect state funded employees. There currently is no Government pension provision for  many school Secretaries and school caretakers in our schools.

Carmel our Secretary is now reluctantly on strike from today and was at the National protest in Dublin today. Her cause is parity of pension provision with other staff in our schools.
We know that she is highly valued in her pivotal role in our school. We ask that you support this strike and this campaign in any which way you can.
Our school will remain open but with great difficulty given the importance of the role Carmel has in our school for parents , pupils , staff and all other stakeholders.

Click on these links  broadcast on Claire Byrne & Rte News .

School Secretaries and Caretakers set for strike action | Today with Claire Byrne – RTÉ Radio 1 https://share.google/2bu4F2rs4A0qOkA5

https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2025/0828/1530650-school-strike-workers/