Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's statement is of deep concern. Essentially, he is reporting that there has been no progress in the talks which have taken place over the past several weeks. Had this question been asked two weeks ago, the answer would have been exactly the same. What has been happening in the talks? Has some progress taken place? A door was opened last week by the president of the ASTI. Was that opportunity grasped by the Department at the time? My understanding at that point was that there was a willingness to engage openly. What happened? Was that opportunity lost or is it still being worked on?

It is not good enough to put the entire responsibility of opening and closing schools on to the Joint Managerial Body, JMB, the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools, ACCS, or the education and training boards, ETBs. Most parents are not familiar with these organisations. If this goes on past next Wednesday, people will be fed up and looking at what the Government has done to ensure their children are educated in accordance with their rights at second level, rights started off by Donogh O'Malley 50 years ago. It is not good enough to pass the buck to schools.

Yet again, the Minister has refused to outline any commitment whatsoever to equal pay. Who can be against equal pay scales? It cannot be a negotiating tactic that one does not support equal pay scales. If the Minister would give such a commitment on the floor of the House, or if the Taoiseach had done so last week, it would make a difference. No one is expecting the pay rates will change tomorrow. What they know is that members of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, and the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, will get increased pay rates from January. I would like the ASTI to be part of that. If that signal could be sent on equal pay, it would make a significant difference. I urge the Minister to take that opportunity. That has been said many times by many of the people involved.

Next week there will be pressure on our students and a worry for their parents, while many teachers are at an information deficit.

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