Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A proposal issued to staff representatives last year to establish a new grade of adult educator, with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource person scale. This grade will apply to tutors employed in ETBs to deliver FET programmes, who are currently employed under a variety of terms and conditions. The provision of a pay scale will allow for incremental progression and a career path for Tutors in the further education and training sector.

This proposal follows the earlier Labour Court recommendation that the official side make an offer on the issue of a pay scale alignment, while accepting that any offer could not, having regard to the contrasting nature of the roles, qualification, flexibility and regulatory frameworks, involve an alignment with the teacher scale.

The implementation of the proposal has been the subject of further negotiations with staff representatives. A key issue raised related to incremental progression. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and my Department, which has regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, have submitted an updated proposal to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.

There is ongoing engagement with a view to finalising the matter in the near future.