Teachers unleash fury over cuts in pay and spending

TEACHERS’ anger at Government policies and speculator greed that caused the economic crash, as well as cuts in wages and education spending, was made clear by a union leader last night.

Although the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) executive is recommending acceptance of the public service pay and reform deal reached by unions and Government last week, its president Máire Ní Chuinneagáin, left no doubt as to who primary teachers blame for the pay cuts they have already had to take.

She told the INTO annual congress that the equivalent of the annual education budget of around €9 billion will be invested every year for the foreseeable future just to pay the interest on NAMA debt, with the financial futures of teachers and others being mortgaged to pay for “the criminal deeds of the few”.