GOVERNMENT sources have denied a report in the Irish Independent that the "three Coalition leaders have approved a draft £40 million pay and pensions deal for the country's 40,000 teachers".
They said that while the parties' Government would probably have no difficulty achieving consensus on the issue, no proposals had been agreed between the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and the Minister for Social Welfare.
A spokes Woman for the Minister for Education declined to comment on the report. She said that the talks "are at a very sensitive and complex" stage.
However, the general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, Mr Charlie Lennon, described the report, which was the subject of the lead story in yesterday's Irish Independent, as "premature and misleading".
Talks between the teachers' unions and management negotiators reopened, yesterday, and Mr Lennon said it was expected that they would conclude within the next fortnight. They deal with restructuring under, the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW). This allows for a 3 per cent increase in overall payroll costs.
Every 1 per cent increase in pay to teachers costs the Exchequer between £11 million and £12 million, so that a figure of £40 million would be somewhat over the PCW limit.
Mr Lennon said the talks were being conducted on the basis that nothing was agreed until everything was agreed. If it was found that some aspects of the deal cost more than the PCW provisions permitted, these could be adjusted accordingly.
"Since early January discussions have been stalled because the negotiators needed political clearance, for movement on the financial parameters", Mr Lennon said.
The main issues outstanding in the talks are new grading structures for teachers and the extent of extra duties teachers will assume for pay rises expected to be worth between £700 and £1,500 a year.