Tomorrow's teachers strike looks almost certain to go ahead despite last-minute talks.
ASTI members will strike, closing hundreds of schools across the country.
ASTI members and officials from the department re-entered talks this afternoon. On the way in, ASTI president Ed Byrne said he was not confident tomorrow's strike could be averted.
One of the main sticking points for the ASTI is the restoration of pay for new teachers, which is due to be done under the Lansdowne Road Agreement; teachers want it to happen now.
However, if the Government parts from the Lansdowne Road agreement, other public sector unions are likely to look for the immediate restoration of their own pay.
Ed Byrne said: "I wouldn't have thought tomorrow's action can be averted at this later stage. Today's talks may be more about setting up more talks for next week.
"(The issue of pay restoration) is an issue of fairness."
The president of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, Ed Byrne, is not ruling out more strike days after the current schedule, if the dispute is not resolved.
Tomorrow is the first of seven planned days of industrial action between now and December.
Mr Byrne says if the situation is not resolved after this campaign, they will review their plans.
He said: "We're school teachers, we have the good of our students at heart and obviously we'd have to review it (the strike campaign) with regard to strategy.
"But it is a possibility."