Woods determined that Junior Cert will go ahead

Education Minister Michael Woods has confirmed State exams will not be able to continue as normal if the teachers pay dispute is not settled. Responding to reports that this year's Junior Cert may have to be scrapped, Minister Woods said the current plan was that the exams would go ahead in some form, although he did not give any details of how they would proceed.

He also insisted the decision to dock teachers pay over the five work-to-rule days in December was taken by the Government as a whole, but said the matter could be re-examined if the ASTI returned to talks.