The Teachers’ Union of Ireland says the Government needs to provide a time-scale for when allowances for newly qualified teachers will be re-introduced.

The TUI and the INTO have been meeting with Department of Education officials since July, to discuss the pay of teachers who joined the profession after February 2012.

Fire fighters, who were also affected by a loss of pay allowances, have since had their pay levels restored.

TUI President Joanne Irwin, says they are confident that newly qualified teachers’ will see also their pay allowances restored.

Ms Irwin said: “The Lansdowne Road Agreement didn’t actually deal with the removal of the allowances, of which a lot of teachers were affected, as were others like the fire fighters who have since had their allowances restored to scale.

“Both ministers have actually come out and said that that is a precedent which will apply to teachers, gardaí and nurses.

“Both ministers have accepted that it is going to happen, we just need to know when.”