The Government was standing firm over education cuts today as thousands of parents and teachers descended on the Dail to protest about the slashes in education spending.

Primary teachers have warned today's protest is just the first in a series and that parents, teachers and school managements will hold protests every Saturday around the country right up to Christmas.

"Our squeeze will come in every parish," promised INTO president Declan Kelleher, who added: "Everyone in the political system will be targeted."

efficiencies

Green party Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan said today that this was an exceptional time in which ministers had to go out and manage budgets. Every sector had to look to where it could achieve efficiencies, he said.

Ruairi Quinn, who has tabled tonight's Labour motion, accused the Government of not doing a forensic examination of finances before the Budget

"This budget is attacking children," he said. He added that the Green Party, whom he respected, had not politically proof-read the Budget. It was a "dog's dinner of a Budget" and the only solution was to go back to the drawing board, he said.

Today's Dail debate begins on a Labour motion calling for a reversal of the decision.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen says he will not overturn the education decisions and he has been publicly supported by two of his ministers along with Green Party leader, John Gormley.

Mr Gormley said the country faced a stark choice between the cuts or an economic abyss and this was why his party would support the measures in tomorrow's crucial Dail vote.

His comments came as Education minister Batt O'Keeffe accused teachers of "scaremongering" and ruled out a climbdown, insisting people would have to accept pain now, otherwise "we will have no economy in two years time".

He pointed out that 80pc of the money in the education budget went to pay the salaries and pensions of teachers and special needs assistants.

unfair

Asked if teachers would forego their next pay increase to help with the difficulties in education finances, Mr Kelleher responded: "Do you ask gardai to pay for the justice system? Do you ask nurses to pay for the health system?"

The INTO president added that teachers were happy to pay their fair share of taxes and had never been found wanting in this area in the past.

- Clodagh Sheehy