Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, we did meet in June. My Department has met the unions on the matter across June and before then. The Deputy asked me if I am committed to dealing with the matter in budget 2019 and he went on to ask if this would be irrespective of how it would be implemented or the costs involved. I cannot give that commitment irrespective of costs or implementation, as the Deputy knows, but as I have said, I am approaching the matter in good faith as I have approached many other issues of pay in our public services. I am engaging with the unions on it but I also have an array of other competing demands from the Exchequer at the moment and I have to see if this can all be put into a single framework to pass the third budget which I am committed to passing.

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