THE INTO spent £2.4 million on a series of court cases arising outs of industrial action taken by the union two decades ago, it was revealed yesterday.
Over 140 cases were taken against the union by or on behalf of children who believed that their right to education had been infringed by the dispute in a West Cork school. Last month the INTO settled the last two cases for a total of £5,000 on the steps of the Circuit Court in Skibbereen.
The cases arose from a dispute at Drimoleague National School which began in 1976 over the appointment of a principal. One teacher felt he was discriminated against when an applicant who did not fulfil the minimum requirement of five years teaching experience was appointed.
The INTO called a strike in seven schools in the area, including Drimoleague. The action was subsequently ended in four of the schools but teachers in three others, including Drimoleague, remained on strike for almost two years.
The cases against the INTO resulted from a circular distributed by the union, which instructed the other local schools not to take pupils from the three schools where strike action was being continued. Some of the children affected, who were aged from four to nine, lost up to 18 months of schooling as a result.
Subsequently 145 cases were taken against the INTO for the loss of the children's constitutional right to an education.
In 1978 the High Court found that their constitutional rights had been breached, with Mrs Justice Carroll ruling that the INTO "attempted to achieve a recognised industrial objective by unlawful, means."
The first settlement was paid by the union in 1989 and payments of amounts varying from £4,000 to £17,000 continued until last month.
Last year the INTO had assets of £8.5 million.
The INTO believes that a number of Bills relating to education may be unconstitutional. These include the Equal Status Bill, the Employment Equality Bill, the Education Bill and the Universities Bill.