Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I can only speak generally with regard to the draft public service agreement. We must wait to see if the agreement is ratified by the membership. The public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions must confirm the outcome before this is implementable. However, in the coming weeks, those ballots will be finalised. We have the prospect of a very important series of changes in terms of how we do our business in the public service and a commitment from all sides to work together to achieve this and obtain savings from it. That is the focus and if there are specific issues, like those referred to by the Deputy, or other matters which have not been resolved through the industrial relations processes, this agreement sets out a system for dealing with some of those perhaps more effectively than previously.

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