The Association of Secondary School Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is to ballot its members on a set of pay proposals from the Department of Education.

The union's Central Executive Council took the decision at a meeting today.

It's recommending that members reject the proposals - which include a provision to opt-out of supervision and substitution duties and a gradual pay increase for newly qualified teachers.

The union will continue to defer its industrial action pending the outcome of the ballot, which will take place in January 2017.

“Teachers have suffered savage cutbacks to education resources, attacks on their pay and conditions, and recently qualified teachers have been singled out for additional cuts," ASTI President Ed Byrne said. "In opposing these measures, ASTI members have had to contend with the Government’s unilateral use of the draconian FEMPI legislation against them."

Details of the deal emerged earlier this week, including an opt-out clause for members who do not want to carry out supervision and substitution duties.

There is also a proposal to gradually increase pay for newly qualified staff to almost €34,000 a year.

The deal is believed to be similar to the ones agreed with the other teachers' unions. The TUI and INTO unions have already signed up to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.