Ballot possible on quitting Croke deal

Secondary teachers will ballot on walking away from the Croke Park Agreement if the Government attempts to cut allowances, the Association of Secondary Teachers was told.

ASTI president Brendan Broderick said that if the Government implemented such cuts the union would ballot members “on withdrawal from the public service agreement… and those who broke the agreement can take full responsibility for the consequences”.

At the annual conference in Cork, he attacked the Government for slashing expenditure and described plans to cut schools’ allocation of guidance counsellors as “the most significant cut” of last year’s budget. He said it was “directed at adolescent students at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable”.