ASTI: Any change to Haddington Road promises 'totally unacceptable'

The head of one of country's secondary teaching unions has said that they have heard nothing about some payments to teachers being withheld if their unions reject the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

It has been reported that the Government will hold back the restoration of certain payments if the deal is rejected.

Under the previous Haddington Road Agreement, allowances for supervision and other duties were suspended, but were due to reintroduced in two tranches with the first €796 payment next Autumn.

Pat King of the ASTI said that the reports today are just rumour, but any threat to promises made under the Haddington Road Agreement would be totally unacceptable.

"Under the Haddington Road Agreement there was to be a refund of teachers pay cut of three years ago," he said.

"They were to get something in the region of €800 in 2017 and another €800 in 2018.

"For anyone to threaten to take that away, (with) the teachers having fulfilled their side of the bargain, would be totally unacceptable."