Press Releases

Primary Teachers Vote to Accept the Croke Park Agreement

Friday, 21 May 2010

Statement by Sheila Nunan, General Secretary, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, on the Croke Park Agreement

Primary teachers have voted to accept the Croke Park agreement by a margin of two to one.
 
The result was announced by the INTO following a postal ballot of the union’s 32,000 members. The INTO is the largest teachers’ union in the country and its executive was one of the first to recommend acceptance of the agreement to its membership.
 
There was a turn out of more than 66 percent in the poll. A total of 13,655 voted to accept the agreement compared to 7,273 who voted to reject, a margin of 65% against 35%.
 
The poll followed a very intense debate at the union’s annual conference in Galway at Easter and a close vote of delegates on motions dealing with the agreement.
 
Speaking after the result was announced this evening, INTO General Secretary Sheila Nunan welcomed the result, saying the agreement provided a measure of protection for workers and their families at a time of great economic difficulty.
 
She said the INTO would now await the result of ballots in other public service unions.
 
“The agreement gives some certainty on pay and jobs,” said Ms Nunan, “despite clear warnings of further substantial cuts to public spending.”
 
She described acceptance of the agreement as a strategic, protective strategy for workers. “But,” she said, “there was a very tight line between those who supported and opposed the outcome of the Croke Park talks.
 
ENDS