How to Join
The following are eligible for admission to ordinary membership of the Organisation (Rule 75):
- Qualified teachers serving under and in receipt of salary from An Roinn Oideachais. Qualified shall mean the completion of a full-time third level course of a period of not less than two years for those applicants for membership who complete their courses after September 30th, 1976.
- Qualified teachers serving in schools and institutions recognised by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.
- Such other category or categories of teachers as may be defined by the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Provision is also made in the Rules (Rule 76), subject to certain conditions, for the following categories of membership:
- Teachers on courses;
- Teachers on leave without pay or on career breaks;
- Substitute teacher members;
- Honorary members;
- Student members;
- Part-time teacher members; and
- Associate members.
Permanent and Temporary Teachers
Teachers serving in a permanent or temporary capacity should complete a membership application form which should be returned to the local Branch Secretary.
It is now possible for permanent and temporary teachers to join the INTO online.
Teachers serving in a permanent or temporary capacity pay a fortnightly subscription of €14 which is deducted directly from salary.
Substitute Teachers
Substitute teachers should also complete a membership application form. This form should be returned directly to INTO Head Office. Substitute teachers are eligible for full INTO membership, however they pay a reduced subscription of €95 per school year.*
A substitute teacher normally becomes a member of the branch to which the school in which s/he is teaching is attached. If s/he subsequently moves to teach in a school in another branch area, s/he retains membership of the original branch for the duration of the school year.
Alternatively, when joining, a substitute teacher can choose to become a member of the branch that covers the area where her/his residence is located.
An information sheet for substitute members is available from the bottom of this page.
* In response to the high unemployment rate of newly qualified teachers a reduced rate of €25.00 has been introduced for NQTs.
Career Break
Career break membership (similar conditions apply to teachers on other categories of unpaid leave including APSO leave, extended unpaid maternity leave and unpaid sick leave).
Teachers on career break who have already been full members, may join a special category of INTO membership. The following conditions shall apply:
- the subscription shall be at the rate of €48 per school year;
- the teachers concerned shall register with Head Office and copies of InTouch shall be sent to an address specified by the teacher;
- they shall remain members of their original branch;
- where possible, they shall be entitled to the facilities which are available to ordinary members;
- they shall have the right to attend and speak at branch meetings, but not to hold any office;
- they shall not have the right to a vote at branch meetings, or in any INTO elections or ballots;
- they shall be entitled to death grants.
If a teacher wishes to do substitute work while on career break, they must take out substitute membership in order to be covered while working in the school.
Teachers interested in this category of membership should write, quoting their teacher number and school roll number, to the Membership Section, INTO Head Office, enclosing a cheque/postal order for €48. Career break application forms are also available from Head Office.
An information sheet for career break members is available from the bottom of this page.
Job Sharing
The subscription rate for job sharers is €9.33 per fortnight.
Direct Debit/Direct Payment members
- Members teaching 17 hours or over per week will pay €30.33 per month,
- Members teaching 12 hours and over but under 17 hours per week will pay €20.22 per month,
- Members teaching less than 12 hours per week will pay €15.17 per month.
Other Categories of Membership
Details of application procedures for other categories of membership are available on request from the Membership Section, INTO Head Office.
