Government must pull out all the stops to avert a return to industrial action from school staff over pension dispute, which would be devastating for students, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins.
Deputy Cummins said:
“There is nothing new or reassuring in Fórsa simply being invited to the table – for years, school secretaries and caretakers have been promised change, yet years later, they are still being denied the most basic security in retirement: a public service pension.
“We have heard these conversations in the past. All we have seen are broken promises.
“A talk is not a solution. What is needed now is a written, enforceable guarantee that school staff who work day in and day out keeping our schools running will finally be treated as equal public servants.
“How can we expect progress when there is no clear pathway or timeline? Without a firm commitment from government, secretaries and caretakers will continue to remain sceptical. No more vague assurances. They deserve a guarantee that pension parity will be delivered, not promised.
“We’ve had 55 different members of government out on picket lines, taking selfies with Fórsa members and using the previous strike as social media content. This is beyond disingenuous when the same government won’t act to deliver equality to essential workers.
“The Minister for Education and the Minister for Public Expenditure must stop kicking the can down the road. It is time to act with integrity, to deliver a binding resolution, and to finally right this longstanding wrong. Anything less would be a betrayal of those who keep our schools running.”
November 21st, 2025