Taoiseach issues plea to end strike

The Taoiseach is welcoming a request by the Labour Court, for the ASTI to postpone today's planned three-day secondary school strike.

Bertie Ahern says the plea, while negotiations are underway, has the best interests of students and teachers at heart, amidst the growing anguish over the bitter pay row.

Discussions, which still show no signs of a breakthrough, will resume at noon today following a meeting of the ASTI's ruling executive to consider the court's request.

The union's general secretary Charlie Lennon says, only the executive can legally call off the strike.

Meanwhile, the parents' association of a Wexford school are taking to the streets today in protest at the ASTI's fresh wave of strike action set to begin at nearly six hundred schools around the country this morning.

Parents are joining exam students from Gorey Community School this afternoon to demonstrate against the three-day strike action in the dispute that threatens the state exams in June.