Irish National Teachers' Organisation

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Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO)

Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann
Founded	1868
Headquarters	Dublin, Ireland
Location	Ireland, Northern Ireland
Members	50,042[1]
Key people	John Boyle (General Secretary),[2]
Affiliations	ICTU
Website	www.into.ie

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) (Irish: Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann), which was founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at primary and post-primary level in Northern Ireland. The head office is at Parnell Square, Dublin, there is also an office in Belfast. The current INTO President (2021–22) is Joe McKeown;^[3] John Boyle is the General Secretary and Gerry Murphy is the Northern Secretary.

History[]

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) was founded in 1868 with the help and encouragement of Danish born philanthropist Vere Foster. Upon its inception there were 47 local teachers’ associations which affiliated to the INTO and Foster became the first President. Affiliations steadily increased with 168 by 1869 and 235 by the end of 1875. By 1914 there were 15,550 members. Early successes included ensuring the provision of teachers’ residences, abolition of payment by results and the introduction of incremental salary scales. Internal changes within the Organisation saw the first female President, Catherine Mahon being elected in 1912. In 1916 the first full time General Secretary, Eamonn Mansfield was appointed. Upon the foundation of the State in 1922, the INTO identified firmly with the aim to create an educational system based on “Irish ideals and conditions”. Throughout the decades the INTO campaigned for improvements in the working conditions of teachers and parallel to this maintained a large influence on the educational policy of successive Governments. Notable achievements include the establishment of Diocesan panel rights for the redeployment of teachers in 1937, the abolition of the Primary Certificate in 1967 and the introduction of equal pay for teachers regardless of gender or marital status in 1977. In 1946 unrest at salary levels led to INTO members in Dublin going on strike for seven months. Other members countrywide contributed towards their strike pay. Moves towards a long-term resolution were made in 1949 with the establishment of a salaries committee by the then Government. The issue was finally resolved with the implementation of a new incremental scale, bonuses and pension arrangements for teachers. Since the turn of the nineteenth century the INTO had sought to have the basic qualification for primary teaching accorded university status. This long-standing demand finally became a reality in 1974. During the economic crisis of the 1980s, and with teacher unemployment at an all-time high the INTO secured improvements in substitute teachers’ conditions including the direct payment of substitutes, linkage of salary to the incremental scale and the establishment of supply panels in certain areas. Uniting with parents and management in 1987, the INTO led the campaign which ameliorated the worst effects of proposed cutbacks in education and teacher numbers. The Nineties and the Noughties saw the continuation of social partnership which brought about gains in the working conditions for the membership. In 2018 to honour the 150th anniversary of the INTO An Post issued a commemorative stamp. This stamp was issued on 22 March 2018.

Members[]

As of April 2021, the INTO claims to have 50,042 members – 43,141 in the 26 counties and 6,901 in the six counties.^[4]

General Secretaries[]

1868: John O'Harte

1871: John Morrin

1877: J. W. Henly

1878: A. K. O'Farrell

1884: James Thompson

1891: M. O'Kelly

1894: J. Coffey

1898: Terence Clarke ^[5]

1910: Michael Doyle

1913: Eamonn Mansfield

1916: Thomas J. O'Connell

1949: D. J. Kelleher

1967: Seán Brosnahan^[6]

1978: Gerry Quigley

1990: Joe O'Toole

2001: John Carr

2009: Sheila Nunan

2019:

Presidents[]

Club na Múinteoirí[]

Door of Club na Múinteoirí

Next door to the union's head office on Parnell Square is Club na Múinteoirí (the Teachers' Club) which is operated by the INTO as a space for cultural and social events, including halls, meeting rooms, a bar, and a theatre in the basement.^[9]

References[]

External links[]

• Irish National Teachers' Organisation