More than 800 national school teachers are gathering in Wexford today for their annual three-day conference.

This year the INTO conference will focus on equal pay for new teachers, joining the profession.

INTO general secretary Shelia Nunan said it is completely unfair to have people doing the same job on different levels of pay.

She said that as our economy improves the next Government must restore the pay of new recruit in our primary schools.

"It's difficult in terms of rents, which I think for all workers are at an all-time high," she said.

"Certainly it's putting the concept of saving for a mortgage and owning a house way down the line for them."