Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae joined striking school secretaries and caretakers on the picket line at the Holy Cross Mercy Convent on New Road, on Wednesday.

He expressed his full support for their campaign for fair treatment and equal conditions with other public servants.
“Our school secretaries and caretakers are the backbone of our education system,” he said. “They open the gates, take the calls, deal with parents and pupils, and keep schools safe and clean. Yet they are denied the pensions and conditions that others rightly enjoy. That is not acceptable.”
The Minister said he and his Independent colleagues will continue to press the Government to act.
“These workers are not asking for luxuries,” he added. “They are asking for dignity, respect, and parity. This strike shows their frustration after being overlooked for too long.”