Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Again, in the absence of a question, all I can do really is restate what I said, that the Government wants the strike to be resolved. It was not necessary and the offer made was appropriate. If it was considered that it was not appropriate and that the right place to resolve the dispute was the Labour Court. We are willing to accept a binding determination from the Labour Court which is independent and the place where many other disputes have been resolved. I suspect this dispute will be resolved there also.

The dispute is about the timing and phasing in of a third pay increase for the support staff concerned. Pay restoration is under way and complete for the vast majority of these staff. Annual increments are being paid, after they had been stopped for a period. There have also been special pay increases for recent entrants to allow them to catch up with the salary scales of persons recruited before the financial crisis. As part of the public sector pay agreement, there is a 2.75% pay rise to be paid to all staff, the next part of which will be paid in September. The Government has offered to begin implementing the further pay rise on top of the other pay rises from November. That is an appropriate offer. If it cannot be accepted, the matter could be resolved in the Labour Court where we are willing to accept a binding determination.

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