Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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12. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he or his Department has advised other Departments regarding the restoration of pay and conditions with the ASTI trade union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30840/16]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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23. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he or his officials have met with the ASTI regarding the implementation of different pay scales for second level teachers. [30843/16]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I welcome the ASTI's strike ballot. It is showing the way for all workers, in particular new entrants in the public sector, through its actions. The first strike day will be next Thursday.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 23 together.

Officials from my Department and the Department of Education and Skills met the ASTI regarding the union's concerns on 7 July, 18 August and 13 September. The issues of new entrant teachers' pay and supervision and substitution payments among other matters were discussed in respect of ASTI members, forming the focus of those meetings. Notwithstanding these engagements between the parties, it has not been possible to date to reach an agreement on issues of direct mutual concern.

The inconclusive outcome of the ASTI meetings is in contrast with the agreement reached between the two Departments and the TUI and INTO on new entrant pay. This agreement will result in increases of up to €2,000 per year for new teachers at the start of their careers. The estimated value of these increases over a teacher's career is €135,000. This agreement gives substantial benefits to new teachers and shows what is possible through dialogue and negotiation within the Lansdowne Road agreement.

I will provide a practical example that highlights the increases over the period 1 September 2016 to 1 January 2018 for new entrants who commenced in 2014 and have signed up to the agreement. The starting point of 31 August 2016 is €33,168. The point on 1 January 2018, including increments, new entrant pay restoration, supervision and substitution, and the Lansdowne Road agreement increase, is €39,482. This is an increase of €6,314 between the end of this summer and the start of 2018, representing a percentage restoration and gain of 19%.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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We discussed some of this issue on the previous question. The fact remains that, even with the agreement of the INTO and TUI, significant pay inequality and discrimination against new entrants persist. This is why the strike is going ahead regardless of whether the Minister likes it, that is, unless there is a resolution and the Government concedes on the key issue of pay equality.

Will the Minister comment on the ads reported in today's newspapers that offer parents and members of the public the opportunity on a paid basis to supervise in schools where strike action is due to take place? I referenced strike breaking earlier and, to me, this is nothing if not strike breaking. Has the Minister approved the projected expenditure by the Department of Education and Skills that may arise from funding this strike breaking? Does he believe that this is a good approach to take to the dialogue with the ASTI or in terms of setting parents against their children's teachers or parents teaching their children that they should break strikes? It is not.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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My overriding message in light of where we stand with the ASTI and the representative bodies of An Garda Síochána is the need for continued engagement in the coming days and into next week between them and both Departments. It is vital that the Government's proposals and the framework offered by the Lansdowne Road agreement be used to determine whether an affordable agreement can be reached for those organisations, cognisant of the broader needs of the public service.

Regarding the Deputy's analysis of where we stand and reverting to Deputy Broughan's previous question, the further restoration of pay will be a consequence of the unwinding of FEMPI legislation over time. That unwinding can only happen when the resources and funding are available to the State to do it. I am clear in my commitment to make that happen, but I must also fund new and existing public services and meet the needs of many across society who have a claim on the use of Exchequer resources.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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I return to my question on strike breaking and the attempt to recruit parents into same against striking teachers. If that is what the Government favours and has approved, how does that marry with any idea of being open to negotiation, the importance of dialogue, etc.? It appears to be part of a pattern of behaviour to try to undermine the ASTI because it has stood up in the face of discrimination against new entrants. We have already seen this in the Department's instruction that ASTI members be discriminated against in the allocation of additional hours. It is perverse that the State is offering payment to strike bearers for supervision duties when a part of the ASTI's campaign is the restoration of supervision pay for its members and the refusal to work enforced and unpaid hours.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am not aware of the ads to which the Deputy referred, but the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, has made it clear that he wants to do everything possible to minimise the disruption caused by the closure of secondary schools across the country, if we get to that point. The Minister is mindful of the difficulties and challenges that will be created within schools, but he is also conscious of the challenges that will be created for families if the schools close.

Deputy Paul Murphy called this an attempt at strike breaking, but the alternative way of looking at it is that the Department of Education and Skills is seeking to put in place measures to minimise the disruption to schools.

I have listened with interest to the way in which the Deputy has described unions that have signed up to the Lansdowne Road agreement. The Deputy has described them as acting in a manner that he does not agree with. I am confident that if we get to a point at which we can resolve this with the ASTI, the Deputy will come in and condemn it for doing so as well. Deputy Murphy's interest is not in the welfare of teachers or in dealing with issues in a way that is affordable for all. His interest is in pursuit of a political agenda that will not meet the needs of teachers in a way that our country can afford.