Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is the purpose of Government to find a saving of the order that we have outlined throughout the public service. There are different personnel involved in every sector who engage in industrial relations issues on an ongoing basis. We would use that expertise and interaction on a sectoral basis as part of an overall effort to obtain the savings. There are different pay structures and issues that arise because there is not a uniform pay structure across the public service, it depends on the sector a person is in. That leads to complexity, and the need to cost options, to sit down to discuss this and go through it in detail so people are satisfied about what has been suggested and the costs and savings involved, which must be allowed to take place as talks intensify during the week on a strictly without prejudice basis.

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