The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) has called off strike action that was planned for 24 February which would have closed around 350 second-level schools.

The Executive Committee of the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) made the decision following contact with the Minister for Education and Skills Jan O'Sullivan.

In a national ballot, TUI members in the second level and further/adult education sectors had voted by a margin of 89% to engage in a campaign of industrial action to secure resolution to crisis issues.

Speaking this evening, TUI President Gerry Quinn said: "TUI announced last week that members at second level and in the further/adult education sectors would be taking strike action on 24 February unless meaningful engagement was to take place.

"Following correspondence from the Minister, and understanding the Minister to be acting in good faith, we are now satisfied that such engagement is possible.

"As a sign of our good faith, the Executive Committee of the union today decided not to hold our planned strike action in order to allow engagement in the hope of developing viable solutions to a range of crisis issues.

"Of key concern to TUI members are the precarious employment status and income poverty of new and recent entrants to the profession and the continuing, damaging effects of under-funding and under-staffing on the service provided to students across all the sectors in which the union has members," added Mr Quinn.

However, Mr Quinn warned that the union retains a strong mandate from members to activate strike action at a later stage should it become apparent that sufficient progress is not being made.