Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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784. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that will be taken to address the anomaly created by the new adult educator contract, which has resulted in some educators in further education and training centres being classed as non-teaching staff, to ensure those who do the same job all have similar terms and conditions of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9214/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In March 2024, SIPTU and TUI, the unions representing tutors, agreed to a proposal to formally establish a new grade of adult educator with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person grade. This scale has 13 points and two Long Service Increments. This proposal allows for incremental progression and a career path for tutors in the further education and training sector. The grade was formally established on 22nd April 2024 when the Department of Education issued an information note (ESR ETB 0001/2024) to the Education and Training Boards with details of the new grade.

By way of background on the establishment of this new grade for the Deputy, my Department, along with colleagues in the Department of Education, Department of Public Expenditure, Education and Training Boards Ireland, and the unions have done considerable work over a number of years to arrive at an agreement in relation to the new grade and its implementation process.

A claim with several parts from SIPTU and TUI to regularise employment contracts for tutors dates back to before the Haddington Road Agreement in 2013. One part of the claim was resolved in 2017 with the introduction of a method for awarding Contracts of Indefinite Duration (CIDs) across ETBs. A second part was resolved in 2019 when leave schemes, paid leave and access to public sector pension schemes were introduced. The outstanding parts of the claim, relating to a standardised pay scale and terms of employment and demarcation between tutors and teachers, were referred to the Labour Court.

In March 2020, the Labour Court recommended that the official side make an offer of a pay scale alignment to tutors in the sector. The Court accepted that, because of differences in the roles, qualifications and regulatory frameworks, this could not involve alignment with teachers’ pay scales and terms of employment. The proposal for the new grade of Adult Educator was developed within these parameters in consultation with the relevant unions.

As the Deputy will appreciate, there are established mechanisms in which I and other Ministers and our Departments must operate in industrial relations.

In relation to the implementation process, each tutor has to decide whether to remain on existing pay rates or move to the new pay scale. Questions which pertain to employment including contracts should be directed to employing ETB. For any outstanding questions or concerns, tutors are advised to contact the local representatives of their trade unions.