Government will do everything to reach agreement on public pay by year end – Donohoe

Vivienne Clarke

The Government will do everything it can to reach an agreement with public service unions before the end of year, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said.

There was a lot of work to do, he told RTÉ Radio’s News at One.

The Government is clear on what it wants and is willing to negotiate to reach an agreement on pay “and other matters” in return for industrial peace, he said.

“Our ambition would be for a more comprehensive agreement with regard to pay and other matters. In any event, regardless of what kind of an agreement we are able to secure, the key thing for me is that we deliver two things.

“The first one is certainty regarding how we can put more money back in people's pockets in the context of new wage agreements and that would be affordable to the taxpayer.

“But the second key feature is that, in return for that, we have industrial peace and the maintenance of stability and industrial relations in our country, which has served us well in difficult times.”

Mr Donohoe said he was willing to engage on the issue of Fempi legislation as he had indicated publicly and in writings to trade unions.

Asked if the agreement could be reached by the end of the year, Mr Donohoe said: “We'll certainly do all we can to get there.

“I do anticipate these discussions are going to be difficult and they may take some time, but in other agreements that I've worked on, once we get into the Workplace Relations Commission, it has been possible to secure agreement over a number of weeks.

“So the time is there, but I do think we'll have a lot of work to do, and I anticipate we'll have a few tough moments along the way, but I and the Government are clear on what we are looking for, we are full of good will and determination to try to find that agreement.”

Mr Donohoe added that he is well aware of the impact of inflation and the high cost of living for those who provide public services and the value of having a collective agreement with them.

“We tried to help people put money in their pockets in other ways. Through, for example, the energy credits, through what we are doing in reducing the cost of childcare.

“But public pay has to be part of that, and we will engage in those parameters in good faith in the coming days.”