Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 April 2017
21. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the detail of the Government's negotiation position on the follow up to the Lansdowne Road agreement with public sector unions. [18350/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that I cannot disclose the Government's negotiation position in advance of actual negotiations. No party to a negotiation, in any walk of life, would do so as this could jeopardise the outcome of the negotiation.
What I can say, in broad terms, is that this Government values collective agreements and will negotiate in good faith to achieve one. We value industrial relations peace and the productivity improvements that collective agreements deliver. We believe collective agreements are more equitable, with benefits spread across all public servants, not concentrated in particular sectors while providing a fair and reasonable reflection of the important contribution all our public servants make to the delivery of vital public services to the public. Perhaps most importantly, we appreciate how collective agreements allow for strong fiscal planning, where public service pay increases that are fiscally sustainable are allocated within multi annual budgets. An agreement would assist us to balance public service pay issues with other societal priorities including for example additional resource requirements in housing, health and education, within what remains a constrained fiscal position.
Detailed negotiation positions will be informed by the first report of the Public Service Pay Commission. I understand work on the report is progressing well and will be completed and published before the end of the current quarter.
