Seanad debates
Wednesday, 12 February 2003
Order of Business.
Senator Ulick Burke asked about the ASTI, of which I was a member for many years. It is rare that teachers turn down money. This is an internal conflict at the level of the union executive. Principals and vice-principals are exercised by what will now happen but there can be no change. The TUI is running the system satisfactorily. In some schools where both unions have members it is being run satisfactorily. On this occasion the Minister for Education and Science is right, they must make up their minds. I now understand the ASTI will not accept benchmarking either, turning down a rise of 13%. It also sounds as if it will turn down the supervision arrangements. There cannot be intervention on the issue because the TUI is already running the system. The Minister could not intervene and I would not encourage him to do so.
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