PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS who are members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) began work-to-rule today amid an ongoing public sector pay dispute.

The INTO is the largest teachers’ trade union in Ireland, representing over 48,000 members. The move is part of wider industrial action involving more than 100,000 public sector workers.

For primary school teachers, their work-to-rule action will see them abandon additional non-teaching working hours, known as Croke Park hours, where they supervise children before and after class time. 

The Croke Park Agreement, at primary level, provides for an additional 36 hours per school year. The additional time requirement is to provide for a “range of activities” to take place without reducing class contact time. There is no additional pay for these hours worked.

As part of work-to-rule, teachers will refuse to attend formal parent-teacher meetings or staff meetings that occur outside normal school hours.

INTO said it is taking the action “to secure a credible pay settlement for the second half of 2026 and beyond”. 

The previous public sector pay deal expired at the end of June. It provided for general pay increases of 9.25% for public sector workers, along with a 1% local bargaining fund, over the 2.5-year agreement. There is no agreement providing for further salary increases across the public sector at present.

The most recent pay agreement for primary school teachers amounted to 1% and was effective from 1 June 2026. The pay increase preceding this also amounted to 1% (or €500, whichever was greater) on 1 February 2026.

The union, and other unions representing public sector workers, are advocating for a new agreement that will guarantee continued pay increases.

INTO said Irish primary teachers earn less than 90% of the earnings of other tertiary-educated workers.

The union said it is “determined to address long-standing salary scale deficiencies in any future public service agreement. Government investment is non-negotiable”.

Ireland’s main second-level teachers union, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI), are also withdrawing from selected activities such as the Croke Park hours today. 

How much are teachers getting paid? 

Primary school teachers’ pay in Ireland is determined by a variety of means. Initially, teachers are divided into two groups: those who entered teaching before 1 January 2011, and those who began work on or after that date.

Those who began in or after 2011 are paid more. This is due to the Lansdowne Road Agreement. Allowances available to teachers who began their careers before 2011 mean there is pay parity.

Both these groups are paid off a scale: the pre-2011 group have 25 incremental points on their scale, the post-2011 have 27. Teachers move up a point for each full year of teaching to the next pay band, while teachers working part-time or subbing move up upon completing 600 hours of qualified teaching.

Salaries start at €43,774 for the pre-2011 teachers, not accounting for any allowances, and the post-2011 teachers’ pay starts at €45,833.  

These salaries creep up to €78,205 for pre-2011 teachers and €84,412 for newer teachers for those who reach the end of the pay scale.

There are qualification allowances available for teachers who began before January 2012 that range from €726 to €7,707 annually. For those who started later, there are allowances available for a variety of reasons, such as teaching through Irish, teaching at a special school, and teaching on an island.

Over the 2.5 years of the previous public service agreement, primary school teachers’ starting wages increased from €40,635 per annum in 2023, before the increases kicked in, to €45,833.

INTO and other unions are seeking a similar agreement this year.