500 secondary school teachers from the ASTI are meeting in the city this week to discuss issues such as pay, recruitment and retention and Leaving Cert exam reform.
Pay is the biggest issue being discussed by delegates, with the union calling for teachers to receive a substantial pay boost to compensate for the increase in the cost of living and to attract new people into the profession.
Speaking to RedFM News, former ASTI President Ann Piggott says some schools in the city are finding it difficult to recruit staff:
"Somebody pointed out downstairs during the conference as they spoke from the podium, about the fact that it's very hard to get teachers in cities now, because they just can't afford the rent. That has been the case for a long time. Even myself when I was running to be president- that's quite a few years ago now- I had heard stories of teachers sleeping on couches, or even one teacher living in a car at the time because they couldn't afford anywhere to live."
