193. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason her Department decided to withdraw from the local bargaining measures for special needs assistants which formed part of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53797/26]

225. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the legal or contractual basis on which her Department has withdrawn the agreed local bargaining measures for SNAs; if her Department will identify the clause within the Public Service Agreement, Local Bargaining Agreement or other agreement that made the implementation of the local bargaining measures conditional upon acceptance of the Workplace Development Plan; the reason members were asked to vote separately on the local bargaining proposal if it was dependent on the outcome of another ballot; and if her Department will publish the correspondence or agreement on which this decision has been based. [54115/26]

230. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason for the decision to withdraw the local bargaining agreement for special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54188/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 193, 225 and 230 together.

Chapter 4 of the outgoing Public Service Agreement (PSA) 2024–2026 provides for Local Bargaining, a mechanism through which employers and trade unions may agree changes to structures, work practices and conditions of service in return for an agreed local bargaining payment.

A key part of the local bargaining process, agreed between the Department of Public Expenditure Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER) and the Public Services Committee of ICTU, is that parties at sectoral level agree reform measures known as ‘management priorities’ in return for payment of agreed local bargaining claims.   It is a matter for each individual union to decide to proceed to ballot on any matter, including local bargaining.

My department is considering written correspondence received from Fórsa on 9 July 2026 regarding the outcome of their recent ballots. My department remains committed to constructive engagement with Fórsa and is available to continue discussions on these matters.