Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
553. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure all tutors employed by ETBs receive the same pay and conditions for the same workload. [28153/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) employ Tutors to deliver various Adult, Community and Further Education programmes. There are no standard pay arrangements or terms of employment for Tutors. Their pay and terms vary between different ETBs (and can vary within one ETB due to the amalgamation of former Vocational Education Committees into ETBs). Many of the programmes cover part-time education provision and the Tutors are typically employed on a part-time basis.
SIPTU and the TUI have tabled a claim for regularising the terms and conditions of employment for Adult Education Tutors including by establishing a common, sector-wide incremental salary scale for Tutors linked to an existing ETB salary scale.
While progress was made on a number of matters the claim for an incremental pay-scale was referred to the Labour Court which recommended in March 2020 that the official side identify the scale of cost it was prepared or able to absorb and make an offer within those parameters given the constraints applying under FEMPI legislation and the Public Service Stability Agreement in relation to cost-increasing claims. This recommendation was made at the onset of the pandemic and consequently the Department's ability and capacity to develop a full response and engage on the issue was constrained by pressure of work arising from the public health emergency and the establishment of the Department during that period, at which time responsibility for the claim transferred.
As the Department of Education leads negotiations for the ETB sector, my Department is liaising with it and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with a view to finalising the official position at the earliest opportunity. An assessment of the costs involved in any alignment to a pay scale is being undertaken as part of this work. Officials met with TUI and SIPTU representatives on 18th May and it was agreed that a Working Group would be established to assist in that work.
Arising from the work of the group, I expect that my Department will in a position make a proposal to staff representatives in the coming weeks with a view to resolving this issue.
