Primary teachers have voted to accept the Haddington Road proposals on public service pay describing it as 'the lesser of two evils'.

63 per cent of members of the INTO voted in favour of these Governments proposals in a ballot announced this evening.

Earlier this year, members had rejected the Croke Park 2 deal- but after subsequent changes by the Government it led to the Haddington Road proposals.

This evenings acceptance will be seen as an encouraging sign by the Government in its bid to reduce the public service pay bill by 300 million euro this year and 1 euro billion over three years.

Noel Ward from the INTO says todays outcome was not an endorsement but an opinion that it was the better of two alternatives. "I think that our members decided that they were better knowing, with some assurances, what the future held, rather than taking their chances under the government legislation."