In a significant boost for the national pay deal, a teachers' union now balloting its members has claimed the agreement will deliver a salary increase of up to 29 per cent.
The claim is made in an internal Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) bulletin being sent to members. The TUI will ballot members next week without any recommendation.
However, the tone of the Special Information Bulletin appears to represent a victory for Mr Jim Dorney, its general secretary, who has championed the pay deal.
With the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) also endorsing the deal, the TUI bulletin appears to leave the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) isolated as the only teachers' union publicly opposed to the deal.
Last month the ASTI voted to leave Congress, opting to pursue a 30 per cent pay claim.
Last night the executive of the TUI met in Dublin to discuss the pay deal. Its president, Mr Joe Carolan, said the executive wanted to make it clear that executive members like Mr Eddie Conlon - who had spoken against the deal - did not represent the views of the TUI executive.
In its internal bulletin, the TUI says that, taken together, the new national deal and the Budget tax cuts would deliver an increase of up to 29 per cent.
It also stresses that the education chapter of the new deal does not contain any proposal for British-style performance-related pay.
INTO members are expected to endorse the pay deal in their ballot later this month; its executive has already recommended acceptance.
Endorsement by TUI members also now seems more likely. For its part, the ASTI faces some searching questions on its future strategy in the coming weeks.
The pressure on the union to support the deal is certain to intensify if the other teaching unions ballot in favour of the pay deal.