Minister urged to apologise to teachers

The Irish National Teachers Organisation has called on Education Minister Noel Dempsey to apologise for his treatment of teachers before the Christmas holidays.

Mr Dempsey attracted the ire of teachers throughout the country when he announced plans for an inspection blitz to ensure that schools were not closing early for Christmas.

The minister threatened to withhold benchmarking payments from teachers who took early holidays, saying to do so was a breach of the Sustaining Progress agreement.