Minister ‘disappointed’ after public sector pay talks fail to deliver outcome

By Cormac Pearson, PA

The minister for public expenditure said he is “disappointed” after public sector pay talks between the Government and trade unions failed to reach a new deal.

Paschal Donohoe said the talks, which began on Tuesday, had been “lengthy and challenging”.

In a statement on Thursday, he said: “I am disappointed that, despite intensive negotiations into the early hours of this morning, public service pay discussions have not yet delivered an agreed outcome.

“I recognise that all stakeholders have been involved in lengthy and challenging discussions over the last number of weeks.

“At the outset of these discussions, I gave an early commitment, in good faith, to repeal remaining FEMPI legislation in an effort to generate goodwill and remove any barriers to achieving a multi-annual agreement.”

The talks between the Government and public sector trade unions had stalled back in December, just days before the most recent agreement expired at the end of last year.

Mr Donohoe said the Government wants to reach an agreement that is the “correct balance” between investment in public services and being “fair and affordable”.

He said: “We have made a proposal in the context of the negotiations which we believe achieves these objectives.

“I encourage trade unions and associations to take a period to reflect and the government remains available to enter into further discussions with public service unions and associations at the appropriate time.”

The 19 trade unions on the Public Services Committee (PSC) of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) are due to meet on Thursday to sign-off on the wording of ballots for industrial action if there is no new deal.

There are more than 300,000 public servants in Ireland across 17 departments.