Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy posed a number of very pertinent questions. I propose that the discussions I will have with the public service will be focused on the public service alone. We have had general discussions about a broader social dialogue, which we must construct, but we are not going back to a national pay agreement. What we are talking about is working out a settlement with public sector unions, which is unique insofar as many private sector employees have not had pay cuts. The biggest impact on the private sector has been the 250,000 jobs that were lost, but many people have done okay and wage increases are still happening in the private sector both last year and this year. We need to map out a sustainable path for the public sector in a fair and equitable way, particularly looking after those on low pay. There are other issues, such as the initiative by the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, regarding the low pay commission, which will have an impact on both public and private sectors. Regarding the timescale, I hope to have whatever is concluded concluded so that we can have robust and real Estimates presented to the House by the end of the year.

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