Leading a trade union double life at present. As leader of the primary teachers' union he has to be fiercely critical of the Government on pay, but as an incoming president of the ICTU he has to do everything possible to uphold the national pay deal.

His own members voted for it by just a whisker, and many remain steadfastly opposed. Needs something solid in the Budget to satisfy his members or else he could find himself leading a strike.

Most teachers want something specific for the profession, but Mr O'Toole as a leading personality in ICTU has to speak up for the wider trade union movement, too. Puts all his faith in the new benchmarking body and needs it to produce the goods.