The impact of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland industrial action that was suspended last night had already started reaching beyond the classroom and into sporting competitions.

The Government is under increasing pressure from opposition and public sector unions to initiate talks on a pay package to replace the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

There has been a breakthrough in the teachers' dispute.

Around 400 schools will stay shut tomorrow as the row between secondary teachers and the Government continues.

The Government has been accused of deciding not to put contingency plans in place to keep schools open during ASTI industrial action in order to bring the dispute "to a head".

The Taoiseach is insisting there's "money on the table" to resolve the teachers dispute.

Update 10am: Parent's Council president Paul Mooney has warned that students are missing out because of the recent strike action by ASTI teachers.

A nationwide strike by secondary school teachers will see hundreds of schools close today.

Sports and other activities may suffer at some second-level schools that have managed to remain open amid industrial action by teachers.

The Finance Minister Michael Noonan has warned that extending the pay deal given to gardaí across the public service is simply not affordable.

Education Minister Richard Bruton has launched a blistering attack on the ASTI for forcing the closure of over 400 schools across the country today, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor.

Update 1.50pm: The Department of Education has been accused of a "campaign of vilification" against ASTI teachers in a bid to "whip" all public sector workers into line, writes Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Hundreds of secondary schools across the country are to remain shut indefinitely after crunch talks over a pay row collapsed without a deal.

Talks adjourned without agreement and ASTI have indicated that their directive on withdrawing from supervision and substitution duties from Monday still stands.

Some 200,000 secondary pupils won't have school tomorrow - with no clarity yet on when classes will resume.

Talks between the ASTI and Department of Education are due to resume this afternoon.

Talks between the ASTI and Department of Education have ended this evening with further talks planned for tomorrow afternoon.

More than 500 schools will almost certainly close from Monday after the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) leadership decided its latest industrial action would go ahead.

In the teachers' pay dispute, talks between ASTI representatives and the Department of Education have ended this evening without agreement.

A return to pre-crash pay levels is the goal of public sector unions, but it remains unclear who or what is going to pay for that, writes Michael Clifford

Talks between officials from the Education Department and the ASTI are taking place again today to discuss junior cycle reform.

The ASTI dispute throws into sharp relief a number of elements of how we disorganise our State.

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU), the national representative body for second-level students in Ireland, would like to remind everyone that it is the students who are most impacted by these strike days, through no fault of their own.

Two teachers' unions have held a rally outside Leinster House, calling for pay equality for their members.

The country is facing "the complete and utter shutdown" of the education system next month unless an immediate solution is found to the school strikes crisis, the Government has been warned.

Update 1.20pm: Teachers have accused Education Minister Richard Bruton of provocation and embedding inequality as they strike over pay.

A large percentage of the nation's teachers have gone on strike today over pay.

Tomorrow's secondary teachers strike will go ahead after talks between the ASTI and the Department failed to achieve a resolution today.

Latest: Tomorrow's teachers strike looks almost certain to go ahead despite last-minute talks.

Talks aimed at averting tomorrow's strike by ASTI secondary school teachers resume this morning in Dublin.

The ASTI has said that Thursday's strikes are set to go ahead after talks with the Department of Education failed to reach agreement.

Secondary teachers say equal pay for equal work is a redline issue for them.