Efforts resume again today to find agreement in the teachers' pay dispute.

Talks between representatives of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Department of Education ended last night without any breakthrough.

However they are due to resume following a meeting this morning of the ASTI's Standing Committee.

Department officials say they remain in regular contact with school management bodies on contingency arrangements ahead of teachers' threatened withdrawal of supervision and substitution duties next week.

But hundreds of secondary schools across the country look set to close next Monday unless a deal is reached.

In a statement, the Department of Education says: "At this stage it remains the case that widespread school closures are expected from the 7th November due to the ASTI’s industrial action and non-cooperation with contingency".

It adds that there is a deal on offer to ASTI which would see pay increases of 15% and 22% for new entrant teachers, with a route to further possible increases after that.