Government accused of failing to keep schools open during ASTI strike action
The Government has been accused of deciding not to put contingency plans in place to keep schools open during ASTI industrial action in order to bring the dispute "to a head",
Both Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams called on the Taoiseach to make it clear that there will be a pathway to full pay restoration of public sector workers.
While AAA-PBP Richard Boyd Barrett demanded a "proper debate" in the Dáil tomorrow on the teachers dispute which he described as an "urgent crisis".
Speaking during Leaders Questions in the Dáil this afternoon, Mr Martin said: "I believe it was within the capacity of management to keep schools open but my suspicion is that the Department and the Government decided to bring the dispute to a head and allow the teachers to go out.
"That is my suspicion and that is why there was no will to keep the schools open and to sort out the supervision and substitution issue, particularly for the exam students."
Responding Enda Kenny said he did not accept that the Government, the Minister and the Department were "lax" in not dealing with the dispute.
"This has dragged on for quite some time but the one hour not being worked results from a unilateral decision made by the ASTI that has affected its own members to their detriment.
The Taoiseach denied that the government had "locked" teachers out of schools.
He said there was "money on the table" which could lead to a "speedy conclusion" of the dispute over supervision and substitution.
But Mr Martin said there has been failure to engage "early and effectively" with secondary school teachers which has led to the withdrawal of cover by ASTI members and strike action over pay restoration.
"For some reason, the Government has not publicly committed to a pathway towards equal pay for newly qualified teachers, which would go a long way towards dealing with that issue," Mr Martin told the Dáil.
"We are now in a situation in which feelings are becoming more entrenched and resolving the dispute could become more difficult."
Mr Martin added that students are "the real victims" of this industrial dispute.
"We know of the centrality of the leaving certificate and of how difficult and challenging it is for any student in his or her leaving certificate year. The absence of contingency planning led to yesterday's closures. Teachers turned up, but the gates were locked."
