Around 850 delegates representing 3,600 primary schools will gather in Galway today for the INTO Conference.

Teacher's pay, industrial relations and the funding of schools, are just some of the issues on the agenda for primary teachers.

Other issues that will be discussed include teacher supply, conditions of employment, the curriculum and special needs teaching.

In a bid to address teacher supply issues, the Education Minister Joe Mc Hugh's announced the creation of substitute teacher panels for primary schools.

Up to 90 schools in six areas in Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Cork and Galway are being targeted, in an initiative to ease supply pressure for substitute vacancies at primary level.

The pilot scheme will see up to 18 teachers hired on full-time contracts and will be assigned to a cluster of schools.