Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Croke Park agreement has been in situ for some time and has delivered in the sense of industrial peace and a significant reduction in the numbers working in the public sector and its cost. The Government has set itself on a path to meet the budgetary targets we must meet while minimising the need for cutbacks to front-line public services. The Government must meet its budgetary targets in a way which minimises cuts to front-line public services. This means we must achieve the maximum possible savings which do not impact on services as a consequence.

Last week I instructed every Minister to respond to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and me in respect of their best assessment of the maximum that can be squeezed from the Croke Park agreement, which we would like to see implemented in full in accelerated fashion. This analysis by each Minister will be returned to me this week. When I and the Minister, Deputy Howlin, assess this, I intend to convene a meeting of the Croke Park agreement implementation body and present the outcome to managers and unions. Yesterday's Government decision and announcement by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, that the indicative target of €75 million, which he was honest enough to state, would not be met is a first step to dealing with the question of the maximum that can be squeezed from the Croke Park agreement. The other side of this equation is the impact on front-line public services, and Deputy Martin is well aware of the difficulties in this regard.

All other issues are to be dealt with as this part of Ministers' assessment and the consideration of the outcome by the unions and the management of the implementation body. I intend to call this meeting when the instruction given last week at Cabinet is before us. The announcement yesterday by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, was in respect of new entrants. He pointed out that while one allowance was abolished, 180 categories are to be changed and 200 others are to be reviewed.

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