Second-level teachers have disputed OECD figures which show that their salaries compare favourably with those in other countries. The ASTI said figures in the OECD report, Education At A Glance, took no account of the cost of living in Ireland.
OECD figures revealed that Irish secondary teachers earned $500 more than the OECD average. However, the ASTI general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, said this did not take into account significant increases in the cost of living here. He said teachers' pay could only be examined in the context of the cost of living and "pay rates received in comparable professions in that country".