Time to end pension inequality for school staff
Time to end pension inequality for school staff - The Labour Party
- Labour demands urgent pension reform for school secretaries
Labour’s Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has today called on the Government to deliver pension parity for all school staff, including secretaries and caretakers. Speaking following growing concern among school workers, Deputy Kenny urged the Minister for Education to act immediately to ensure that all those who keep schools running are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Deputy Kenny said:
“It is simply not good enough that in 2025, we are still having this debate. Not before time, school secretaries are now being paid directly by the Department of Education. That was a vital step forward, but to think that they are still not entitled to a pension is simply unfair.
“My own grandmother has worked as a school secretary for nearly thirty years. She worked with generations of students in our community, yet because of Government inaction, she won’t be entitled to a pension. This is nothing short of a failure by the State to recognise and respect the vital role school staff play in our education system.
“Pension inequality sends a clear and damaging message: that some workers are more valued than others. That is simply not acceptable. School secretaries, caretakers, and other staff members deserve the same rights and protections as any other public servant.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael now have the opportunity to right this wrong. I’m calling for urgent action to ensure that all school staff are treated equally, and that pensions are provided as a basic right for every worker supporting our education system.”