Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste's response, while not unexpected, is nonetheless alarming and I am sure it will cause alarm among teachers, students and parents alike. The alarm resides in the following simple matter. Why can no Government Minister commit, as a matter of principle, to equal pay for equal work? That is what this issue boils down to. Nobody expects pay restoration to happen overnight and it is accepted, including by teachers, that no one has a magic wand. Why can the Government not make a commitment for new entrants who are currently disadvantaged, employed on a discriminatory basis and do not receive equal pay? Why can it not commit to implement equal pay for equal work over an agreed timescale? This is what needs to happen. Irrespective of the outcome of the ballot, which is a matter for the members of the ASTI to decide, this issue will remain outstanding. Why does the principle of equal pay for equal work and effort not apply for new and young teachers?

See this speech in context