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A new and improved pay offer has been made to further education (FE) lecturers in Northern Ireland.

It includes an increase in starting salary from £24,496 to £30,000.

The package also includes an 8.4% pay increase, plus £1,000 to be added to all other lecturers' pay points for 2023/24.

A previous offer, which included a 5% uplift plus a non-consolidated payment of £1,500, was described as 'insulting' by a lecturers union.

The Economy Minister Conor Murphy said a 'revised funding envelope' had allowed colleges to make the offer.

Further education is the responsibility of Mr Murphy's department, rather than the Department for Education.

He said industrial action by lecturers had created a risk that the issuing of qualifications could be delayed for many students this academic year.

"I hope this pay offer means that these important qualifications can be awarded promptly," he added.

Lecturers had been dismayed that the earlier offer was significantly worse than the deal which has been accepted by school teachers.

The teachers deal covering 2021, 2022 and 2023 equates to a cumulative total of 10.4%, plus £1,000 being applied to the teachers' and leadership pay scales.

Newly-qualified teachers will see a starting salary of £30,000 - a 24.3% increase from their current salary of just over £24,000.

Last month the University and College Union said it was 'absolutely staggering' that lecturers were being offered a deal which had such disparity from teachers.