Rain discourages protestors on Budget day

Heavy rain kept most protestors away from the front gates of the Dáil for today's Budget speech, but dozens of teachers gathered to protest against the lack of funding for further education and school indiscipline.

Paddy Healy, president of the Teachers Union of Ireland, said the €2m allocated to tackle bad behaviour in schools was derisory and he was hearing from inside the Dáil that teachers had been "ignored" in the Budget.

“With the amount of money and the massive surplus in the economy, it’s absolutely disgraceful that adequate monies aren’t being provided for further education and indiscipline in our schools,” he said.

The TUI is calling for funding for structures and resources for further education and a serious fund to tackle behaviour problems in schools.

The protestors pledged to remain outside the Dáil for the duration of the minister’s speech.

They were the only ones braving the rain apart from small groups of TV crews and were huddled under umbrellas as news of the Budget’s winners and losers came through.