Adult education tutors pay
Deputy Bacik raised the pay and conditions of adult education tutors and said they remain undervalued despite essential work. The Tánaiste said discussions are under way across several Departments to address the issue and improve the situation.
I thank the Ceann Comhairle for enabling us to mark the anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine with a minute's silence today and a powerful exhibition in Bucha. The Labour Party lends our unequivocal support and solidarity to the people of Ukraine. I also wish to express sympathy for the PSNI officer injured in the horrific shooting in Omagh, John Caldwell. I offer my thoughts to his family, friends and community.
I want to raise the situation pertaining to adult education tutors, many of whom I met on Tuesday afternoon. I stood with them last week. Despite their vital work, they lack fixed working hours or a set pay scale. They need better terms and conditions. They have an order from the Labour Court but the Departments of Education and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform have still not made them an acceptable offer. When will we see an end to this stalemate? What does the Government plan to do to ensure better security for adult education tutors?
Comment on this
I dealt with this issue last week. It is a very fair question. Discussions are currently under way in respect of the issue, which essentially involves pay and conditions. The Departments of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and Education are working on addressing the situation pertaining to adult tutors. Improvements have been made in recent years, but there is no doubt that we need to resolve this matter once and for all.