Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

-----I have indicated that in some instances there has been a cut of more than 30%. On a voluntary basis, one senior public servant who has asked not to be named has taken a cut of more than 50% to meet the pay norms set because some of the pay norms set in advance of our entering government were unacceptable. We have moved remarkably, but we cannot look on public servants as an amorphous group to be squeezed to solve all of our problems. We have an agreement, namely, the Croke Park agreement, under which we are bringing about objectively significant and radical reforms. It will take time for them to be bedded down. If we want them to be embraced and not resisted by working to rule and strikes, we need a two-sided agreement. For the Government's part, we have stated that for as long as there is full engagement with the radical reform agenda, redeployment and the other measures we want to take, we will not cut pay further. This is the two-sided agreement which will serve the interests of the State.

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