Almost 400 schools will close today as thousands of teachers strike over pay.
The Teachers Union of Ireland, which represents secondary and third-level teachers, says the strike's taking place because those hired after 2011 are paid at a lower rate than colleagues, despite doing the same work.
The action will mean hundreds of secondary schools containing mostly TUI members will have to close for health and safety reasons.
Meanwhile the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland says a ballot of its members for industrial action's underway on the same issue.
The union's also holding a protest outside the Department later in support of their TUI colleagues.
