Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Jul 2001

Vol. 540 No. 3

Written Answers. - ASTI Dispute.

Richard Bruton

Question:

322 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the initiatives he plans before the start of the new school year to reduce the threat, particularly to examination students, of disruption due to industrial dispute in secondary schools. [20497/01]

Richard Bruton

Question:

323 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he intends to apply allowances which were part of the recent package of proposals to settle the dispute of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, regarding supervision work and other activities outside of the normal teaching contract undertaken by teachers from the start of the coming school year in September 2001. [20498/01]

Richard Bruton

Question:

325 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the contacts which have been made by him and by officials of his Department with the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland since the ballot of their members on settlement proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20500/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 322, 323 and 325 together.

The issues involved in the industrial action by members of the ASTI were examined in great detail by the Labour Court which issued recommendations for a resolution of the dispute.

The ASTI rejected the Labour Court recommendations and has deferred consideration of future action on their 30% pay claim until September.

At the Labour Court, the parties agreed to enter into discussions on the issues of supervision and substitution in order to have the matters resolved this summer. Following their rejection of the Labour Court recommendations the ASTI has refused to engage in discussions on these issues. In an effort to avoid further difficulties in September my Department has entered into negotiation with the other teacher unions on the issues of supervision and substitution. These negotiations are on going. Any arrangements for the payment of teachers for supervision and substitution work arising from these discussions will be available to all teachers.

The Teachers Conciliation Council, which is the agreed forum for discussing pay and conditions of teachers, has continued to operate throughout the present dispute. However, the issue of the ASTI pay claim has not been discussed since the matter was referred to the Labour Court. The Government accepted the Labour Court recommendation and considers that the application of the pay terms of the PPF together with the review of teachers' pay being currently being undertaken by the Public Service Benchmarking Body is the only way in which the ASTI pay claim can be addressed.