‘Lansdowne deal must be replaced’

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.

It comes as the Department of Education was yesterday accused of not devising contingency plans to keep schools open during the ASTI’s industrial action, in order to bring the dispute “to a head” earlier.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams called on the Taoiseach to lay out a pathway to full pay restoration for public sector workers. This was echoed by Siptu president Jack O’Connor, who said negotiations on a new public sector pay deal should begin early in the new year.

AAA-PBP TD Richard Boyd Barrett demanded a “proper debate” take place in the Dáil on the teachers’ dispute, which he described as an “urgent crisis”.

However, this request was voted down.

Speaking during leaders’ questions, Mr Martin said: “I believe it was within the capacity of management to keep schools open, but my suspicion is that the Department and the Government decided to bring the dispute to a head and allow the teachers to go out. That is my suspicion and that is why there was no will to keep the schools open and to sort out the supervision and substitution issue, particularly for the exam students.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he did not accept the Government was “lax” in not dealing with the dispute.

“This has dragged on for quite some time, but the one hour not being worked results from a unilateral decision made by the ASTI that has affected its own members to their detriment,” said Mr Kenny.

He denied the Government “locked” teachers out of schools. He said there was “money on the table”, which could lead to a “speedy conclusion” of the dispute.

However, Mr Martin said there had been failure to engage “early and effectively” with teachers .

“For some reason, the Government has not publicly committed to a pathway towards equal pay for newly- qualified teachers, which would go a long way towards dealing with that issue,” Mr Martin told the Dáil.

“We are now in a situation in which feelings are becoming more entrenched and resolving the dispute could become more difficult.”

Mr Martin added that students were “the real victims”.

“We know of the centrality of the Leaving Certificate and of how difficult and challenging it is for any student in his or her Leaving Certificate year. The absence of contingency planning led to yesterday’s closures. Teachers turned up, but the gates were locked.”

Mr O’Connor yesterday claimed the State had enough money to hammer out a better pay deal for public sector workers. He said the Government would have to sit down with unions in the new year to renegotiate the Lansdowne Road Agreement.