Primary and secondary schools across Ireland face disruption this week as teachers begin industrial action as part of an ongoing pay dispute.

It comes as part of wider industrial action which includes more than 100,000 public sector workers.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has confirmed their members will not work beyond their scheduled teacher hours.

Rear view of boy raising hand during Q and A session in classroom at elementary school
Primary and secondary schools across Ireland face disruption this week as teachers begin industrial action as part of an ongoing pay dispute. Pic: Getty Images

This means disruptions to early drop-offs and late collections as teachers say they will not work the Croke Park hours for extra supervision prior and following school.

Children will therefore not be permitted on school premises outside official school hours.

The Croke Park hours are additional working hours that were brought in by the Croke Park agreement, and subsequent Haddington Road agreement.

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The industrial action also means members of the INTO will forgo any staff meetings and parent-teacher meetings outside of the standard school hours. Pic: Getty Images

The industrial action also means members of the INTO will forgo any staff meetings and parent-teacher meetings outside of the standard school hours.

General secretary of the union, John Boyle, hit out at the ‘absolute disgrace’ that he said previous government heads would not have allowed happen.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1, he noted that insurance companies will have a problem from Monday (today).

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He added that people would have to ‘get used to’ industrial action affecting others, and noted that children would still be taught and learning throughout the school day. Pic: Getty Images

‘What they advised boards of management to do is that if you cannot take on this additional risk when you don’t have these teachers out in the cold freely supervising the children for no pay any longer, that you as a board may have to only open the school gates at the actual start of the school day rather than half an hour beforehand,’ Mr Boyle said.

He added that people would have to ‘get used to’ industrial action affecting others, and noted that children would still be taught and learning throughout the school day.

‘But they will not be supervised beforehand,’ he stressed.

A vote from INTO members say 99.5% voted in support of the action, with the union explaining that the action was to ‘secure a credible pay settlement for the second half of 2026 and beyond.’

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) are also set to begin industrial action on Monday.