The Minister for Education, Dr Woods, has ruled out any additional money for teachers and said they must adhere instead to the terms of the national pay deal.
Despite denunciations throughout the day of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) by teachers, Dr Woods said it remained a "vital plank in the Government's policy on public service pay".
During his speech Dr Woods was subjected to some booing and heckling. When some of the audience objected to his views on the pay issue, Dr Woods told them: "I'm just telling you what is available."
He said the new bench-marking body, included as part of PPF, was the only option open now to teachers.
He told the president of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), Ms Bernadine O'Sullivan, he was aware of her "difficulties" with the pay elements of PPF, but the "spirit and letter" of the agreement had to be observed.
However, he said that just because the ASTI was against PPF did not mean it could not pursue its pay claim through the new bench-marking body included in the terms of the PPF.
"It provides an excellent opportunity to have issues, such as have been raised by your members in the course of this congress, examined and adjudicated upon by a professional and independent body as provided for in the agreement," he said. "I would ask you to give careful consideration to these provisions in the PPF. The benchmarking exercise provides a mechanism whereby your members can pursue their entirely legitimate aspirations for a fundamental examination of the role of second-level teachers," said Dr Woods.
His speech followed an address by Ms O'Sullivan which was loudly cheered by the 500 delegates.
She rejected the possibility of getting significant pay rises through the bench-marking body. "Those who are advocating bench-marking admit that they do not quite know what it is, but are absolutely confident that it must be good for one," she said.
The Government had departed from its own pay policy, the PPF, for Oireachtas membership salaries, by expanding the remit of the latest review body to include a link with civil service grades, she said.
"Minister, ask this Government to do unto teachers what it wishes to do unto itself," she added. "A considerable increase is needed to compensate them for the work they do as professionals and these increases must also be passed on to our retired members. Teachers' pay must be in line with other professions," she stated.
Ms O'Sullivan said the Department of Education, parents and many other groups were worried about the demoralising effect on teaching from certain newspaper columnists who constantly criticised the profession.