Dempsey buries the hatchet with teachers union

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey has buried his differences with the Teachers Union of Ireland and will attend its annual congress.

However, it appears the minister will not be attending the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) convention in Killarney. The union's standing committee decided yesterday it will not facilitate Mr Dempsey's request to adopt a different format to the ministerial session.

Mr Dempsey rejected a TUI statement issued a week ago claiming agreement had been reached on his attendance. It is understood he was furious at the union's suggestion he had compromised on his original rejection of its invitation for him to address the conference in Galway.