Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding public service contracts for adult education tutors as recommended by the Labour Court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6239/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, including further education services. Officials have been engaging with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, which has policy responsibility for the further education sector, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to this matter and discussions are ongoing.

There has been previous engagement with Unions regarding these staff and while agreement was reached on some issues, the claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade in Education and Training Boards remains unresolved. The Labour Court, while noting the position that existed in terms of requirements under FEMPI legislation and the Public Service Stability Agreement in relation to cost-increasing claims, recommended that the official side identify the scale of cost it was prepared or able to absorb and make an offer. Work is ongoing in this regard, and detailed analysis is required.