The prospect of a breakthrough in the teachers dispute grew today as both sides said they were prepared to enter talks on clarifications of a Labour Court recommendation issued two weeks ago.
The Minister for Education, Dr Michael Woods, said tonight the Government was prepared to take part in fresh talks at the Labour Court in an effort to end the deadlock over the ASTI's 30 per cent pay claim.
Speaaking on RTÉ News Dr Woods said if the talks made progress, he hoped the teachers could be back at work in time for the Leaving and Junior Cert exams.
The news came after 600 schools were closed again today in the second day of a two-day strike by the ASTI.
This morning the ASTI general secretary Mr Charlie Lennon sent a letter to the Taoiseach, calling on Mr Ahern to facilitate talks over "an elaboration" of the Labour Court recommendation it rejected a fortnight ago.
In the Dáil yesterday Mr Ahern said the Government would be happy to clarify any element of the court's recommendation.
But he said the ASTI "had better make up their minds" about bench marking and a national pay deal. He stood firm on his stance that there would be no talks outside of the PPF framework.
In the letter ASTI said it had regarded the court's recommendation as a final determination.
However the union said it was prepared to enter talks and called on the Taoiseach to facilitate these talks as a "matter of urgency".
It said: "A significant elaboration or development might form a basis on which the Recommendation could be put before the ASTI Central Executive Council which has the authority to put a proposal to ballot."
The union's 22-member Standing Committee met this afternoon to discuss the progress of its industrial action. But ASTI spokeswoman, Ms Gemma Tuffy, said no move is expected until the union receives a response from the Taoiseach to today's letter and an outline of what the new talks would involve.
The Department of Education said by lunchtime today it had received 6,800 applications from people interested in becoming supervisors for June's Leaving and Junior Certificate exams.
"And the figure is rising," said Mr Brian Duggan, spokesman for the Department of Education. He said the Department has yet to finalise the processing procedure for these applications.