In a move which is bound to provoke a strong reaction from teachers, the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has rejected invitations to address the ASTI or TUI conventions. But he could attend the INTO conference.
In a letter to the ASTI and the TUI - delivered last night - the Minister expresses his "regret" that he will not be attending their conferences this year.
But discussions between his officials and the INTO next week could clear the way for him to attend its conference in Tralee next month.
Last night, ASTI's acting general secretary, Mr John White, said the Minister's decision to reject an invitation to its conference could be seen as a slight on teachers.
The INTO is the only teaching union which has agreed to the Minister's request for a forum on the future of education during the annual conference.
Ideally, the INTO would also like Mr Dempsey to give the traditional ministerial address at the conference.
In a letter to the INTO last night, Mr Dempsey stated: "I have asked my officials to discuss with you how we can structure matters to obtain the greatest overall mutual benefit from my attendance at Congress. I hope that it will be possible to agree an approach that is genuinely open and productive."
Mr Dempsey had asked all of the teaching unions to change the "dated" format of their conference in favour of a forum modelled on the Your Education System (YES) roadshows, which are under way at 17 venues across the Republic.
Last week, the INTO responded positively to this request, saying it was willing to consider the proposal.
Mr Dempsey was also scheduled to address the ASTI conference in Killarney and the TUI conference in Galway over Easter.
But both of these unions have made it clear they will not accommodate his proposal for a YES-style meeting.
Last night Mr White said: "I regret that the Minister is forfeiting the opportunity in time-honoured manner to address the representatives of 17,000 teachers on the issues he considers important to the education service. The last few years have been very difficult for education and for teachers.
"It would be a pity if the Minister's decision is seen as a slight on teachers and if the relationship between the Minister and teachers - which should be one of working together - is damaged as a result of this decision."
The INTO's decision to hold discussions with the Minister may also damage links among the three unions.
The YES meetings, chaired by, among others, John Bowman, Joe Duffy and John Creedon, have proven to be popular with the public.
Attendance at the meetings has averaged several hundred; more than 500 attended a recent meeting in Dublin.
