The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has decided to take a significant political risk by addressing a series of public information meetings for ASTI members on the supervision deal.
The decision has already been criticised by the union's leadership. Its general secretary, Mr Charlie Lennon, said it was an "extraordinary and unprecedented" intervention by an employer in a union ballot.
The meetings will take place at eight venues throughout the State in the next fortnight. They come as ASTI members prepare to vote for the second time on the €38 per hour supervision and substitution deal early next month.
Last night, the Minister said: "I want to do my best to ensure that all teachers have full information on the scheme and can make an informed choice on the question of participation".
He hoped the series of meetings - beginning in the Spa Hotel, Dublin, next Tuesday - would "be of assistance to teachers in reaching decisions in relation to the upcoming ballot".
Two-thirds of ASTI members voted to back the supervision deal in a ballot two months ago. Since then, however, the leadership has called a re-ballot amid confusion about on-call payments.
The leadership is recommending rejection of the deal as it claims teachers will not be paid for making themselves available for supervision.
The decision to demand a re-ballot has dismayed the Department of Education. There is concern that the ASTI leadership no longer represents the views of the grassroots membership. But this view will be tested in the forthcoming meetings.
The other teaching unions - the INTO and the TUI - have already endorsed the supervision deal.
The deal means that ASTI members would for the first time be paid for supervision/substitution work which was traditionally done on a voluntary basis. The €38 per hour offer is pensionable and participation in the scheme is voluntary. No teacher is required to do more than 90 minutes supervision/substitution per week. Mr Dempsey has already signalled that entirely new arrangements will have to be put in place if ASTI rejects the deal.
This would mean formalising the current arrangements where non-teachers are recruited to do the work.
One source said Mr Dempsey liked to "confront issues instead of letting things go". He took part in a similar exercise as environment minister when he briefed local authorities about his reform plans.
The stakes in the forthcoming ballot are very high for all sides. Acceptance of the offer would represent a final death knell for the three-year ASTI dispute. But rejection would represent a boost to ASTI hard-liners.
The Minister's initiative has been welcomed by school management. Mr Michael Moriarty of the Irish Vocational Education Association called it brave and imaginative. Mr George O'Callaghan of the Joint Managerial Body said the meetings would provide an opportunity to explain and clarify the scheme to teachers. Members of the JMB will also attend the meetings.
In his response, Mr Lennon pointed out that every member of the ASTI would be provided with detailed documentation before the ballot. " In these circumstances, it is difficult to know what further information members would receive at such meetings".