Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. He mentioned the 3,300 tutors employed in ETBs. Approximately 2,500 work full time. I know that the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform uses the 3,300 figure when it talks about the costs but the other 800 tutors are on two four-hour contracts. That is a small point.

The Tánaiste is right that some progress has been made. He raised the issue of public service pensions. We must remember that a public service pension will be based on a 37-hour week while tutors' hours are capped at 22 hours per week. That means they end up with a much smaller public service pension. It is, according to my calculations, 59% of what it might be. That is not even the end of it. There are between 15 and 17 weeks every year when those tutors are availing of jobseeker's allowance and are not contributing to a pension. That brings them down to between 39% and 42% of the public service pension. We can see how urgent it is that we deal with this matter. There has been unacceptable delay in regularising their contracts. I ask that the response is speeded up as much as possible.

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