Minister for Education welcomes announcement by Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI)

The Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, TD, welcomes the announcement by the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) that its members have voted in favour of accepting the package of further support measures negotiated between the Union and the Department in recent weeks.

The package of Support Measures published in early May followed an intensive engagement between the Department and the TUI, as well as the ASTI, following the Minister’s invitation to the Unions in early April.

The Minister this evening thanked the TUI for its positive engagement during those negotiations and for its commitment to finding a shared path forward to the continued implementation of Senior Cycle redevelopment for the benefit of all students.

As the consideration of the Support Measures package by the ASTI membership is continuing and their ballot will not close until later next week, the Minister will not be making further comment at this stage.

The Support Measures announced in early May and which have now been agreed by TUI members include supports such as:

• Expanding the scope of the annual Physics and Chemistry Grant subject in the Leaving Certificate to include Biology and Agricultural Science, and almost doubling the level of the grant to €25 per student per qualifying subject;
• Establishing a dedicated Post of Responsibility in schools which offer Level 1/Level 2 Learning Programmes with effect from 1 September 2026;
• Bringing forward proposals to realise universal access to Transition Year;
• Reconfiguring, on an interim basis, of the operation of the whole school component of the Croke Park Hours (CPH) arrangements as applicable to teachers;
• Confirming the management side requirements to satisfy the local bargaining clause of the Public Sector Agreement, whilst noting that those elements are subject to approval by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in accordance with the Public Service Agreement;
• Developing a right to disconnect policy applicable to schools.