Dempsey won't budge on ASTI demands

The Education Minister says he will not be making any changes to the supervision and substitution scheme to appease members of secondary teachers union, the ASTI.

The union has decided to re-ballot its members on the scheme after three days of talks failed to reach agreement on interpretation.

Minister Noel Dempsey is moving to assure parents and teachers that the ongoing dispute will not disrupt classes.

He says that although the setback is disappointing, if teachers decide they do not want to do the work, then alternative arrangements will be made.

"Teachers can voluntarily and democratically decide that they don't want to do this work under these circumstances, at €37 per hour and for 90 minutes or thereabouts per week between supervision and substitution.

"If they say that is something they don't want to do, that it is too onerous or they are not interested in doing that, then we will put alternatives in place on a more permanent basis."