The Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan has denied the new junior cycle framework has abandoned what was originally proposed.

Ms O'Sullivan has published the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015.

Trade unions are being balloted on the new proposals, which the minister says she hopes will pass.

She says she welcomes the decision of the Executive Committee of TUI and the Standing Committee of ASTI to ballot their members.

The document sets out how teaching, learning and assessment in the junior cycle will be reformed.

The framework builds on the initial document published in 2012, and comes after engagement with all of the educational partners.

The minister says: "Teachers will have the necessary professional time and resources to implement the new Junior Cycle successfully".

But speaking to Newstalk Lunchtime, Ms O'Sullivan said this new document has not abandoned proposals from the former education minister, Ruairi Quinn.

And she says this new approach takes in much more than simply a written paper.