Richard Bruton: At least seven weeks to draw up plan for teachers’ action

Minister for Education Richard Bruton said it will take the Department of Education "at least" seven weeks to put together plans to cope with industrial action threatened by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).

The time will be required to recruit staff to take over supervision duties in schools and to allow for Garda vetting, the Minister told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

In a vote on October 13th, 78 per cent of ASTI members voted for industrial action in a dispute over penalties imposed on ASTI teachers for repudiating a public service pay deal.

The withdrawal by ASTI members from school supervision and substitution duties could lead to widespread disruption or closure of second-level schools on health and safety grounds.

Mr Bruton said decisions will not be taken on the form of the contingency plans until the ASTI decides on the nature of the industrial dispute.

The Minister said his department has had meetings with the management bodies of schools and that “some contingency plans” are in place, but that the entire plan will depend on the scale of the dispute. Mr Bruton warned there could be school closures.

“We have written to the ASTI seeking their co-operation. We have asked them to come to the table for talks,”he said. “They’re looking for 100 per cent restoration of everything. That’s untenable, it would cost €2.3 billion.

"They breached the Lansdowne Road Agreement when they withdrew the Croke Park hours, which was 33 hours a year to facilitate parents to meet outside school hours."

Mr Bruton said there is a capacity to resolve the issues but that the ASTI chose not to be involved.

Strong and decisive action

Kieran Christie, general secretary of the ASTI is warning that there will be ‘strong and decisive action’ by the union.

“The mandate we received yesterday speaks volumes about the anger out there,” he told the Seán O’Rourke show.

He said teachers do not want to be on strike. “We used all the mechanisms available, the department was unwilling to move.”

Mr Christie said the difference in pay scales for newly qualified teachers was “a blatant injustice that has to be addressed. We are holding out for a proper deal for our most vulnerable members.”

When questioned about the ASTI’s position on Junior Cert reform, he said the union was “to the vanguard of reform. What we want is proper reform that will work. We did not look for any extra money in relation to Junior Cert reform.”

He said details of the form of industrial action will be decided on Friday. “We have a mandate to take action. We will continue to seek a resolution and to talk to the Department. “Our members do not want to strike.”

Mr Christie added that he thought the seven weeks notice requested by Minister Richard Bruton was “an extremely long time.”