Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide clarification in relation to Local Training Initiative Operating Guidelines (details supplied); if this policy means that LTIs are not financially independent and cannot generate or retain income to improve wages or conditions, given all funding is fully controlled and accounted for through the ETB and SOLAS system and therefore contradicts the view that LTIs independently set their own pay and conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55740/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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By way of background, Local Training Initiatives (LTIs) are community-based training programmes designed to support individuals who face economic, social, geographic, or educational disadvantage. The training programmes offered are tailored to meet specific local needs, ensuring relevance and impact within the community.

LTIs are independent organisations, with their own independent Boards of Directors. Their relationship with their grantors, the Education and Training Boards (ETBs), is governed by Department of Public Expenditure’s (DPER) Circular 13 of 2014 titled “Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds”. This circular guides the management, accountability, and reporting of public funds allocated through grants. It applies to all bodies receiving such grants, including agencies, charities, and other entities.

My Department is not the employer of LTI staff and holds no role in determining their pay or conditions. This responsibility lies with the Board of Directors of the LTI.

The operational guidelines being referred to were developed by SOLAS prior to DPER circular 13 of 2014. Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) is currently leading work on the development of new operational guidelines to manage the relationship between ETBs and grant-funded organisations providing education and training, which will be published by SOLAS in the new year. These new operational guidelines will be based on DPER circular 13 of 2014 and will supersede those published by SOLAS prior to DPER 13 2014. The organisations they relate to are Community Training Centres, LTIs and Specialist Training Providers. The issues raised by Deputy are being considered within this substantial piece of work.