DONAL O'LOINGSIGH,
Sir, - I am saddened to read that Pat Cahill still believes that it is the ICTU and the other teacher unions that are out of step with himself and the ASTI (January 15th).
His criticism of the ICTU is really laughable, as he and his colleagues saw fit to leave Congress long before the PPF was finalised, and indeed by so doing removed their general secretary from the PPF negotiating team. Would it not have been far more profitable for all of us if their general secretary had been left in the negotiations fighting for a better deal for teachers, instead of being sidelined?
I am also saddened that Mr Cahill should again publicly criticise the other teacher unions. To say that he believes the leadership of the INTO and TUI are misguided in their present policy is offensive, particularly in light of the disastrous pay policy being pursued by himself and some of his colleagues. It is hard to imagine what could have been more damaging to "the social capital that teachers had built up over the years" than that same policy. It is insulting to us in the other teacher unions to say that we are adapting a short-term utilitarian approach that is not in the best long-term interest of education. I believe my colleagues and I are every bit as concerned as Mr Cahill about the future of the profession, and we do not accept his analysis of our policy or of benchmarking.
Mr Cahill and some of his colleagues are at least consistent. They have always blamed others for the failure of their ill-considered decisions. They should take responsibility for their own actions. Time will tell, if it's not already obvious, who it was that was out of step. - Yours, etc.,
DONAL O'LOINGSIGH,
Knockaire,
Knocklyon,
Dublin 16.