A member of the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit group says cuts to public sector pay should be reversed.
Dublin West candidate Ruth Coppinger says this would be the first priority of a left government.
During a panel discussion on education, Ms Coppinger told Newstalk Breakfast: "The first priority of any government would be to go back to where we were, and to restore pay to what it was for people".
"Teachers should be paid what they were paid before - they should have their pay reinstated fully - as by the way should nurses and many public sector workers. That...would be first priority".
Asked how much that would cost, she replied: "I don't know the full cost, it would obviously cost several billion".
In reply, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) has said teacher unions did not negotiate cuts to new teacher salaries.
"The cuts were imposed in 2011 by the then-government and opposed by teacher unions", it added.
