THE INTO decided last night on industrial action in 60 to 100 schools in opposition to the plans of the Minister for Education to redeploy teachers. Two day strikes will begin in 10 schools in the week beginning September 16th.
The decision was made at a special meeting of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation executive. A statement issued after the meeting said the union "most reluctantly and in frustration" decided on a programme of industrial action. "Strike action will only take place in those schools where there is general parental support for it," the statement said.
The first 10 schools to be affected will be: Glenswilly National School, Newmills, Letterkenny; Blackrock NS, Dundalk; Scoil na nAingeal Naofa, Boyle; Bohermeen NS, Navan; St Fiach's, Graiguecullen, Co Carlow; Monastery CBS, Tipperary town; Scoil Mhuire, Ballincollig, Cork; Tarbert NS, Co Kerry; Castleconnel NS, Co Limerick; and Cloheen NS, Kerrypike, Co Cork.
Ms Breathnach yesterday adopted a conciliatory line, saying she would be happy to reopen negotiations at any time. But she insisted her Department must have the final say in deciding where to redeploy surplus teachers.
The two sides have reached agreement on redeploying most of the several hundred teachers who will become surplus this year because of the fall of 11,000 in primary school enrolments. Of these, 135 have been allocated to disadvantaged schools, under the "Breaking the Cycle" scheme announced in May.
Following union pressure, the Minister agreed that two teacher schools with falling enrolments would be allowed to keep both posts, saving 16 positions.
She also agreed that any school which was up to three pupils short of the figure required to allow it to keep a teaching post would be permitted to retain it. There are about 55 such schools.
There is now some confusion about the number of schools affected by the redeployment plan. The INTO has identified 60 schools still due to lose a teacher. However, according to a union spokeswoman, the Department has identified a further 30 schools, at risk, bringing the total to 90.
The Fianna Fail education spokesman, Mr Micheal Martin, blamed the Minister for confusion over the exact number of teachers available for redeployment because of falling rolls. Mr Martin said Ms Breathnach told him in the Dail last May that 341 teachers were available, whereas the INTO had been basing its negotiations on a figure of 289.