I should like very briefly to refer to a matter which was raised here by various Deputies, that is, teachers' salaries. Deputies spoke on the teachers' salaries problem and they gave their various views. This, of course, was their right but as Minister for Education I am in an entirely different position. I must take cognisance of the fact that delicate negotiations dealing with a delicate situation are at present taking place. I have already made two statements in the Dáil on the subject of teachers' salaries and I will now confine myself to saying that I met representatives of the secondary school managers and of the ASTI recently and had a discussion with them. The chairman of the Conciliation Council is having informal talks with all three teacher groups, including the ASTI.
In this very complex situation it must be clear to all concerned that the only possible solution for the present and past must come from an agreement to which the three teaching bodies are parties. All of them have their problems and their difficulties. Each group must try to recognise and show sympathy for the problems of the others and attempt to meet them. In the process no group should claim an absolute right to hold strongly to its own position.
I may say finally that I discussed this problem with a number of highly skilled and experienced negotiators and they all regard this as one of the thorniest problems they ever encountered. However, I feel that with sufficient goodwill on all sides it should be possible to reach a solution in relation to this particular matter.