THE INTO may reverse its policy which favours regional education bodies if satisfactory proposals are not brought forward by the Minister for Education.
Delegates attending the conference expressed trenchant opposition to Ms Breathnach's plans to set up 10 new education boards to co ordinate services in each region. Legislation outlining the exact proposals will be published shortly.
The INTO general secretary, Senator Joe O'Toole, told the conference the union's main interest in regionalisation was to secure as much funding as possible for primary education. Under the current system, the sector was poorly funded, and teachers found it hard to get the money from the Department of Education for everything from chalk to computers.
"We don't want to spend the next two years blocking a decision which is almost inevitable."
Mr O'Toole promised the board would not be allowed to "fritter away money on buying schools in France or whatever".
He was responding to concerns raised by delegates that the new bodies would prove excessively bureaucratic and costly, and could incur the same problems of overspending experienced by some VECs.
Mr Sean Thornton said the boards would "gobble up" what was a commodity in very short supply in education, money. The money would be spent on "plush carpets and offices" rather than teaching staff, he claimed.
Mr O'Toole promised the matter would be considered by INTO congress before the union came to a decision on the new boards.