Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the situation for staff working in education centres who have lost out on wages during the Covid-19 pandemic under the temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if she will take steps to resolve the matter. [23111/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Education Support Centres are separate legal entities recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by local voluntary Management Committees which are elected annually. The Management Committee are responsible for the employment and payment of Education Support Centre staff.

Education Support Centres receive annual grant funding from my Department. The level of annual grant funding available to centres in 2020 and 2021 has been maintained at the level provided in previous years.

In addition to Department funding, Education Support Centres may also generate income from other sources e.g. through the provision of local courses for teachers and the hosting of CPD events organised by the national teacher education support services. While the ability of Centres to offer face-to-face courses and CPD to teachers has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 public health pandemic, the majority of Centres have transitioned to providing these supports online to teachers.

In 2020, as the public health pandemic affected the way in which Centres could deliver their supports to teachers, it was a matter for each Education Support Centre to review their financial position and consider the various supports introduced by the Government for employers and employees such as the TWSS and PUP support payments. Specific issues in relation to the TWSS and the wages of individual staff employed privately in Education Support Centres are a matter for the Management Committee of each Centre to consider and review.