One of the country's largest teacher unions has warned that "industrial harmony" will be at risk if teachers are not given a pay increase to address rising inflation.

Irish National Teachers' Organisation president Joe McKeown told the opening day of the union's annual conference that they'll ensure teachers who "keep ailing education systems afloat are not taken for granted".

Mr McKeown told the delegates in Killarney, Co. Kerry: "National pay agreements have provided much needed stability and security through the most difficult of times. In the bad times we endured swingeing pay cuts and savage reductions in public services.

"The serious erosion of our standard of living caused by the recent increase in inflation has to be addressed urgently by Government if industrial harmony is to continue."

INTO union delegates will today debate a motion noting that inflation was 5.3% last year while pay increases received by teachers amounted to 1%.

In Association with

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland will begin its annual convention in Cork today, while delegates of the Teachers' Union of Ireland will also be gathering from today in Co. Waterford.

The ongoing dispute over pay scales and its impact on staff recruitment and retention in the profession is also expected to feature at the three conferences.

A further issue is in relation to the two-tier pay system that was instituted in 2011, which means teachers employed after January 2011 earn a starting salary lower than that earned by colleagues employed before that date.

A TUI survey released yesterday found that 30% of those employed after 2011 believe they will still be teaching in ten years' time. However, that figure increased to 75% should pay disparity be completely resolved.

The TUI survey also found that availability of affordable accommodation is a severe problem for young teachers.

According to the research, based on their teaching salary 73% of those appointed after 2011 do not believe it would be possible for them to get mortgage approval for a property in or near the location where they work.

Meanwhile, of those renting among the same cohort, 98% said it would be extremely difficult to secure new accommodation in the locality if they had to vacate their current accommodation.

INTO delegates also heard that the disruption caused by Covid-19 to the education system has not been eliminated.