Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
637. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure that ETB tutors are given full-time contracts including holiday pay cover and pension entitlements. [19075/23]
View answer638. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure that the remuneration received by ETB tutors is allotted on an incremental basis comparable with other educational professionals and reflecting experience/years of service. [19076/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 637 and 638 together.
Following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, approval for an offer to be made to the unions has been agreed. The proposal is that a grade of Adult Educator will be formally established with a standardised payscale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person Scale. This grade will apply to tutors employed in ETBs to deliver FET programmes, who are currently employed under a variety of terms and conditions. The formal offer has issued to the Unions and both sides are meeting to discuss the details of the offer.
This proposal builds on the progress made in the regularisation of the adult education tutors with the introduction in 2017 of a consistent method for awarding contracts of indefinite duration across ETBs, and the provision in 2019 of access to leave schemes, paid leave and the appropriate public sector pension scheme.
The provision of a pay scale will allow for incremental progression and a career path for tutors in the further education and training sector.
