Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 November 2023
257. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a further response on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50315/23]
View answerThere are some 2,800 adult education tutors employed across the 16 Education and Training Boards, who are currently employed under a variety of terms and conditions. Tutors are paid on an hourly rate basis, generally at the unqualified teacher rate. A small number of tutors are paid at the self-financing hourly rate.
Following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, an offer was made to the unions based on a joint proposal from my Department and the Department of Education, which retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector. There has been ongoing engagement between the Departments, ETB management and the Unions since. The Unions have been seeking further revisions to the offer and have raised a number of issues. One of these relates to the application of Building Momentum increases to tutors in some ETBs who were paid on the self-financing rate, which unlike the unqualified teacher rate has not been increased.
My Department and the Department of Education, are considering approaches to the issues raised, including those tutors paid on the self-financing rate, with a view to reverting to the unions as soon as possible.
