THE TEACHERS’ UNION of Ireland (TUI) is considering industrial action over the failure of the Department of Education to pay salary increases for teachers.

The union is set to ballot its members on whether action should be taken.

A 1% salary increase was agreed between the union and The Department in May 2025 in return for teachers’ cooperation with the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle.

A further 2% pay increase would then be due under the next national pay agreement.

This redevelopment will see the implementation of Additional Assessment Components (AACs) such as practical and project-based assessments across Leaving Certificate subjects.

The Department maintained that the salary increase would take effect from 1 September 2025, but this is now a year overdue.

If members approve the campaign, industrial action will mean suspending all involvement and cooperation with assessment components of the new Senior Cycle.

In a statement, TUI President Anthony Quinn said, “we expect the Department to keep its side of the deal, yet regrettably this has not happened”.

“This failure represents a flagrant breach of trust and poses major questions around the Government’s actual commitment to the process of Senior Cycle redevelopment”, Quinn added.

AACs, the practical or project-based assessments, account for nearly 40% of students’ total marks in the newly revised Leaving Certificate.

In an emergency motion at the TUI Annual Congress in April, members demanded that the initial 1% payment, due on 1 September 2025, be paid and backdated without further delay.

“We have waited long enough and are now balloting our members for industrial action over this deeply regrettable breach of faith,” Quinn said.

In a statement to The Journal a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Youth said that it is “fully committed” to the implementation of the agreement terms. 

“The department has engaged with all relevant stakeholders in good faith and the local bargaining discussions between all parties are ongoing. Given the parties remain in process and discussions between parties remain confidential, it is not appropriate to make any further comment on the ballot at this time”, they added.