The next phase of industrial action by secondary teachers is set to begin next Tuesday after the mediator in the dispute said there was no prospect of a breakthrough.
Mr Tom Pomphrett told The Irish Times last night: "There is no peace formula on the table. We are a long way off that."
The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI), Mr Charlie Lennon, described reports which suggested there was a breakthrough as "misleading and inaccurate".
Schools in Dublin will close on Tuesday and this will be followed by regional closures until February 20th. In total, most schools will be closed for about four days.
Mr Pomphrett said: "The only thing on offer is my compromise document which the ASTI rejected last week. If they wish to reconsider that, then that is fine. The reality is I have no alternative proposal to put at this point in time."
The ASTI standing committee meets on Friday next and there is no certainty Mr Pomphrett will have a proposal tabled by then.
The push is on to get a breakthrough before February 3rd when the ASTI officially withdraws from all exam work.
The dispute remains deadlocked because the Government is refusing to refund three days of pay docked from teachers for work-to-rule action with no strings attached.
It is happy to refund the money - as Mr Pomphrett's recent document confirmed - but will not accept it was wrong to deduct it in the first instance.
If the Government refunds the money without any preconditions, it accepts that teachers are not obliged to perform supervisory and other voluntary duties. This could open the way for teachers to refuse to do any other duties apart from classroom teaching.
When ASTI members did this during November and December, schools were forced to close.
Yesterday teachers received their pay cheques for December and no money was docked for work-to-rule action.
However, ASTI members were furious that teachers who were on sick or maternity leave during November's work-to-rule action and who were docked money in the last pay cheque did not have their money returned.
Informal talks are under way between Mr Pomphrett, the Department of Education and Government officials, but nothing of substance has been agreed so far.
What happens next
On January 16th, ASTI is due to initiate strikes in Dublin followed by regional strikes, ending on February 20th. Classes will be closed in most schools for about four days.
Schools in Leinster (excluding Dublin) face strikes on January 17th and 25th, February 6th and 14th, in Munster on January 18th and 30th and February 7th and 15th, and in Connacht/Ulster on January 23rd and 31st and February 8th and 20th.
Dublin schools face strikes on January 16th and 24th and February 1st and 13th.