Details
General Information for Delegates/CEC members
The ASTI Annual Convention takes place during the week following Easter Sunday.
Approximately 500 ASTI members attend Convention as delegates every year. Each Branch nominates at least one delegate to Convention, depending on Branch size. In addition, all members of the Central Executive Council and Standing Committee attend.
Administration Fee
There is a registration fee for all delegates, CEC members and Standing Committee members. The registration fee will be set off against Branches' May quarterly transfer.
Delegates/CEC members Registration – Tuesday 2nd April 10.30 am - 1.30 pm
The registration desk is located McCarthy Suite on the 1st Floor in the Business Centre. All delegates/CEC members attending Convention must register on arrival to receive their credential card, ballot paper, and expenses cheque. As delegates/CEC members must sign to receive their ballot papers, please ensure that you arrive in good time.
ASTI Head Office Conference Office
The ASTI Administration Office will be located in the Oscar Wilde Suite on the 1st Floor in the Business Centre for the duration of Convention. It will remain open during all sessions of Convention but will be closed from 1.00 - 2.00 pm on Wednesday and 12 noon - 1.00 pm on Thursday. If you have any queries please contact Head Office staff at the office who will be pleased to help you.
Nomination Forms
Nomination forms for committees will be available at the Information Desk in the Business Centre on the 1st Floor.
Tea/Coffee Breaks
There are no formal tea/coffee breaks during Convention. Tea/coffee is available on a cash basis in the Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford for the duration of Annual Convention.
Lunch
Please note delegates attending Convention are responsible for their own lunch arrangements. As Convention commences at 12 noon on Tuesday 2nd April there is no formal lunch break.
Wednesday 3rd April: 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm lunch break
Thursday 4th April : 12 noon - 1.00 pm lunch break
Note: Lunch facilities are available in the hotel for the duration of Annual Convention.
Presidential Address
The President's Address will take place in the Convention Centre on Tuesday 2nd April at 4.25 pm. While some seating will be reserved for guests at the front of the Conference Hall there will be adequate seating for all delegates who wish to attend.
Convention Dinner
The dinner will be held in the Convention Centre Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford on Tuesday 2nd April at 8.30 pm.
How can I attend Convention dinner?
The cost of a ticket is normally €55 but if your Branch reserves a table of ten for its delegates before Thursday 14th March 2024 by emailing [email protected], reference 'Annual Convention Dinner', it will cost only €450. Payment for branch reserved tables must reach the ASTI Accounts Department on or before Friday 22nd March 2024.
If your Branch wishes to join with another Branch for a table of ten, please book under one Branch's name by emailing [email protected], reference 'Annual Convention Dinner'.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Parking
There are 250 parking spaces available at the Clayton Whites Hotel, Wexford.
• Resident’s parking rate is €5.00 per night.
• Day Delegates parking rate is €7.00 per day.
Childcare
Children will be facilitated at Rainbow Childcare - find details here.
Accommodation in Wexford
You will find the details of other hotels and guesthouses in Wexford here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of Annual Convention?
Convention is the policy-making body of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland. The decisions which are taken as a result of the debate become the policy of the union and are subsequently pursued with the relevant bodies. It is important that you express your reservations on or support for any issue about which you feel strongly as, once the decision is taken, the union is duty-bound to follow.
Those attending Annual Convention are supplied with the following:
- Book 1 & 2 - Conference Programme & Reports
- Book 3 - Statement of Accounts
- Minutes and Report of the previous Annual Convention
The Conference Programme includes a list of those attending, the timings of sessions and the resolutions. It also includes Standing Orders i.e. the rules on how business is conducted.
Why should I attend?
You will meet teaching colleagues from workplaces similar to yours from all over the country discussing issues that do, or will, affect you. You will be involved in making decisions on how ASTI can best influence outcomes for its members.
I would like to attend Convention. What do I have to do?
Talk to your school steward about attending or ask about it at the next meeting of your branch. If you have been at Convention before you will be familiar with the procedures at branch level. If this is your first time to consider it you should know that delegates must be members of the branch they represent and must have been members of the Association for at least one year prior to the selection of delegates which normally takes place at all branches in January.
What if I go - will it be expensive?
Delegates/CEC members registering at Convention will receive a cheque for accommodation expenses. After Convention delegates/CEC members will receive reimbursement for public transport, or mileage allowance if they use their car to travel to and from Convention. Please note that Observers attending Annual Convention will not receive expenses.
Who is on the Convention platform?
Annual Convention is chaired by the President of the union. The President is the highest-ranking officer of the union. This is an elected post which is held for one year.
The President is accompanied by the President-Elect who will be President the following year, the Vice-President, the Honorary Treasurer and the Time Keeper.
Also on the platform is the General Secretary, the highest-ranking official of the union, the Deputy General Secretary and the Assistant General Secretary.
What is the difference between private and public sessions?
Any attendee is welcome at Public Sessions. These will comprise of the President’s Address, the General Secretary’s Address, addresses from guest speakers and resolutions which are open to public debate.
Private Sessions deal with the internal issues of the union. Only delegates/CEC members may attend these sessions.
How is business conducted?
Each motion has a proposer and seconder.
The proposer presents the argument in favour. He/she has a maximum of 3 minutes to speak. The motion must have a seconder or it will fall. Often the seconder will also speak in favour of the motion for a maximum of 3 minutes.
Motions may also be formally seconded without a speech.
The floor is then opened for any delegate to speak for or against the motion. Each speaker will have a maximum of 3 minutes. When all delegates wishing to speak have spoken, the proposer will be offered the right to reply. He/she may use this time to address some of the arguments which have arisen.
The vote will then be taken:
- For or
- Against or
- Register an abstention
Where do the motions come from?
In the Conference Programme you will see that each motion is attributed to either a Branch or Standing Committee.
Those attributed to Branches have been submitted for Conference by members attending Branch meetings. They will be proposed and seconded by members of these branches but any delegate may contribute to the debate thereafter. Branch motions are very important because they give members the opportunity to influence policy.
Those attributed to Standing Committee have been submitted by members attending Standing Committee meetings. Standing Committee comprises of the officers and elected members from 18 Regions. Standing Committee meets monthly and deals with ongoing work of the union. Standing Committee members will propose and second these motions but, again, any delegate may contribute to the debate.
Who can vote?
There are several categories of people who attend Annual Convention, but only some of these can vote.
Delegates:
Delegates have been nominated to represent their Branches and hold the voting rights of the branch. Each branch has a pre-determined number of delegates based on size. If a vote is difficult to call, there may be a card vote. If this occurs, the number of members present in the conference hall will be taken into account. You should always have your credential card with you for this purpose
CEC:
CEC members have individual voting rights.
Observers:
They are normally members who wish to attend Conference but who are not delegates as the quota had been filled or they had expressed their wish after the stated date. They can also be from other organisations. Observers do not have voting rights
Guests:
Fraternal guests are invited members of other teacher unions and do not have voting rights. Other guests from educational or political organisations do not have voting rights.