The President of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) Máire Ní Chiarba, has called for the next minister for education to immediately address the problems facing new teachers.

Speaking in advance of the ASTI Conference in Cork on Tuesday, Ms Ní Chiarba said the low pay scales for newer teachers were top of the agenda.

“There are three different pay scales, so we are very concerned about new entrants to the profession.

“I met two young teachers, both teaching in the same school, they are the same age, but they started at slightly different times, and they are on two different pay scales,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.

“Over a work lifetime this would amount to €100,000. This is grossly unfair. It is something that needs to be sorted out. It is a dreadful message to be sending to new entrants. They are doing the same work, they have the same responsibilities as everybody else, but because of the accident of when they started teaching their pay scale is hugely diminished.

“The emergency is now over, please treat all of our members equally. The young people are the life blood of our association. They need to get the same pay as the rest of us are getting.”

Ms Ní Chiarba said the association is open to meeting the new minister. “The minister would be well advised to try to help a profession that is becoming demoralised.”