Departmental Policies

Thursday, 16 July 2026

Questions (56)

Eoghan Kenny

Question:

56. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the basis for her Department's decision not to implement the local bargaining measures for special needs assistants, notwithstanding that those measures were approved by union members in a separate ballot; whether any provision of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026, the Local Bargaining Agreement or any other agreement made implementation of those measures conditional upon acceptance of the SNA Workforce Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53886/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

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.