Irish National Teachers Organisation

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) is a trade union that represents primary school teachers employed in the Republic of Ireland. It negotiates pay, working conditions and employment terms with the Department of Education and Skills on behalf of its members. INTO also provides a range of support services, including legal advice, career guidance and access to professional development resources. Among its offerings is an online learning portal that delivers training courses and continuing education programmes for teachers.

The organisation operates throughout Ireland, serving teachers in every primary school sector across the country. In September 2017, INTO disclosed a cybersecurity breach that affected its online learning portal, exposing personal data of approximately 30,000 users who had participated in recent training courses. The compromised information included names, email addresses, geographic details, gender and course‑related records, with a limited number of cases also revealing mobile numbers or professional registration numbers. The breach was used by the attackers to distribute spam messages, prompting INTO to notify affected individuals, report the incident to authorities, temporarily shut down the portal and plan mandatory password resets upon restoration.

INTO holds a distinctive position as the sole recognised trade union for primary school teachers in Ireland, giving it a central role in sector‑wide bargaining and policy discussions. It emphasises career‑long learning, offering members access to workshops, seminars and accredited courses designed to enhance classroom practice. The union also engages in advocacy on educational issues, aiming to influence legislation and improve the quality of primary education nationally. Its longstanding history, dating back to its foundation in the nineteenth century, underpins its reputation as a stable and influential voice for teachers.

Structurally, INTO is an independent, member‑led organisation with no publicly disclosed parent company, subsidiary relationships or external ownership interests. Governance is carried out through an elected executive committee and regular congresses attended by delegates from local branches. The union’s funding derives primarily from membership subscriptions, which support its operational activities and service provision. No further details about corporate structure are available in the supplied sources.