Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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137. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the discussions he has personally held with the leadership of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the issues raised. [36328/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government strongly supports the Lansdowne Road Agreement as the centrepiece of public pay policy noting that the Labour Court's recommendation was explicitly made within that framework.  However, the wider implications of the recommendation in relation to the continued operation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement as it applies to all public servants across the public service are under careful consideration and assessment by Government.  In this regard, I met with ICTU representatives on the 7 November last to get an early input to those considerations by Government from the Public Services Committee of ICTU in terms of the views of the constituent unions and associations of the impact, from their perspective, of the Labour Court Recommendations made in relation to the Garda associations.

Senior officials within my Department also met with the Public Services Committee of ICTU on the 15th November last where both sides reiterated their commitment to a continued collective approach to public service pay issues. It was also agreed  that those issues arising in relation to the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement could be more appropriately dealt with by the parties under the the relevant provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement.  In this regard both parties agreed to remain in ongoing contact on the issues raised over the coming weeks.