Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform was mandated by the Government to become involved in the process of negotiating the new Croke Park arrangement. It is a wage negotiation process that is currently under way. It is wrong of anybody to assume he can state what the outcome of the negotiations will be. What the Government wants is a fair and balanced outcome across the board in respect of its target for a reduction in pay this year, leading to an extra saving of €1 billion by 2015. This is a challenging position for every public servant. I regard every public servant as being a front-line person in his own way.

I have seen the various statements from the representatives of the trade unions, and the Deputy will have seen the statements of trade unions in regard to front-line workers. The Deputy should understand, however, that the negotiations are ongoing and in a critical and intensive stage. Everybody who has a concern or issue he wants to have discussed and negotiated should get back in where the discussions actually take place, that is, around the table. It is not correct for anybody to state now what the outcome of the negotiations will be.

Reference was made to gardaí yesterday during Question Time. We have absolute respect for the work that gardaí must do. I know from having spoken to gardaí in various stations that morale is very low. This is partly attributable to the fact that, in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011, there were 200 Garda vehicles purchased. In 2012, some 213 new vehicles were purchased. This year, there is an allocation of €5 million, and I expect 250 new vehicles to be purchased. The gardaí – the officers – do need the best facilities to do their job. The pay discussions are ongoing and they involve all the public servants. I regard the job they do as absolutely critical to the provision of the best public services for our people, including taxpayers.

Rather than attempt to predetermine the outcome of the negotiations, I suggest that everybody focus on what is at stake. We must make reductions to get to the required point on the path to which we are committed, and that involves lowering our deficit to 3% by 2015. This is challenging for all public servants. The place to work it out is at the table where discussion takes place.

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