Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
289. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 19 May 2022, to provide an update on the long-outstanding issue of regularising the terms and conditions of adult education tutors employed by Education and Training Boards. [40912/23]
View answerThere are over 2,800 tutors employed across the 16 ETBs who are involved in delivering key programmes to learners within the Further Education and Training sector.
A range of industrial relations issues regarding adult education tutors have been under discussion for a number of years and progress has been made in resolving key issues, including the introduction of a consistent formula for awarding Contracts of Indefinite Duration in 2017 and the provision of access to leave schemes, paid leave and access to the appropriate public sector pension scheme in 2019. The claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing ETB grade remained unresolved.
Following discussions between the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Education, which retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, a proposal in response to the recommendation of the Labour Court regarding Adult Education Tutors was agreed.
The proposal is to establish a grade of Adult Educator with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person Scale. This grade will apply to tutors employed in ETBs to deliver FET programmes.
The provision of a pay scale will allow for incremental progression and a career path for Tutors in the further education and training sector.
A formal offer has been issued to the relevant Unions and both sides are now engaging on the operational aspects of the offer.
