Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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306. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has met the trade unions recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54228/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Taoiseach and I met with the Implementation Body for the Public Service Agreement last October as part of the process to discuss proposals for achieving further savings and reforms from the Agreement. The Body comprises of representatives of public service trade unions and public service management. In addition, on foot of an invitation by Government, I met with representatives of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in December last regarding the commencement of discussions with public service management on a new agenda for reductions in the cost of delivering public services and substantial longer term productivity improvements and workplace reforms. This new agenda is aimed at achieving additional savings of €1 billion in the pay and pensions bill between 2013 and 2015. Intensive engagement, facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission, has now commenced between the parties to the discussions and will continue over the coming weeks. This process will allow for the impact of any changes on individual public servants and on their workplace to be explored, so that public servants have the fullest information to help them decide in any ballot. Outside of this current process, I also hold periodic meetings with trade union leaders and officials of my Department meet with stakeholders including representatives of public service trade unions on a regular basis