Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming in today. I wish to highlight a long-standing and unjust issue affecting Youthreach staff, specifically the ongoing failure to pay these dedicated educators for the correction and grading of locally devised assessments. This issue of these staff members not being paid to the same standard as those in other FET centres was brought to my attention by a very passionate teacher at a recent visit to Youthreach. This has been raised multiple times over multiple years. Circular 27/2011 sets outs clear rates for LDA correction across QQI levels 4, 5 and 6. These are the very same modules being delivered in Youthreach centres every day by teachers who invest considerable amounts of time, energy and care in supporting some of our most vulnerable and at-risk young people. Despite the circular and the fact VTOS and all other further education and training staff are reimbursed for this work, Youthreach staff continue to be excluded. There is no policy or directive that explicitly states Youthreach staff should not be paid. The Teachers' Union of Ireland has been unequivocal that there is no impediment to Youthreach staff being paid for the work in line with their FET colleagues, but nothing has yet come to fruition. This is more than an administrative oversight; it is a fundamental issue of equality and respect.

We speak often enough in these Houses about the importance of a second education and giving young people a fair shot no matter their background. We cannot say that with integrity when the very staff who are at the front line of this second education are treated as second class themselves. To put it plainly, a second chance education should not mean second-class resources, and certainly not second-class treatment for the educators delivering it. I am sure the Minister is very familiar with Youthreach. The teachers are not just instructors, but are also mentors, social supports, emotional anchors and advocates for young people who have faced a lot of adversity. These young people have faced trauma, poverty, exclusion and disconnection from mainstream education. These teachers' work goes beyond solely the classroom, but at the very least their classroom work should be properly compensated. It is unacceptable that these teachers, who are delivering accredited QQI components, just like their colleagues, are asked to mark assessments in their own time and without pay. In many centres staff go above and beyond, often covering a wide range of responsibilities in small teams and with very limited resources. Their continued denial of payment for LDA corrections is not only a moral failing but a serious blow to the sustainability and morale of Youthreach services. Will the Minister and his Department acknowledge the disparity formally and clarify and confirm that Youthreach teachers are entitled to the LDA payments in line with Circular 27/2011? Will he instruct SOLAS and ETBs to immediately apply this payment structure to Youthreach staff? We cannot continue to rely on the goodwill and professionalism of Youthreach teachers while denying them parity with their peers. The young people in Youthreach deserve the very best and their teachers who support them deserve to be recognised, supported and paid for the full extent of the work they do.