Taoiseach defends ‘outstanding individual’ Kevin Duffy

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended the chair of the public sector pay commission amid repeated criticisms from garda representative groups over Kevin Duffy’s description of the threatened garda strike as tantamount to “mutiny”.

Mr Kenny described Mr Duffy, who is also chairing the commission on the future of water charges, as “an outstanding individual”.

The Taoiseach made his comments following a meeting of the British-Irish Council in Cardiff on Friday, where Brexit was the main topic on the agenda.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) has said they will not work with the pay commission until it has decided if they have confidence in Mr Duffy.

“Kevin Duffy is an outstanding individual,” Mr Kenny said. “Given his understanding of a working class background, I think he will do an outstanding job as the chairman of the public pay commission.

“I look forward to him being able to do his work and I hope that everyone will co-operate and contribute to the discussions that will take place in what is a very central issue for Ireland.”

Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary said Mr Duffy’s tone was “not helpful” but senior party sources indicated they would not call for Mr Duffy to stand aside.

Mr Duffy has also received support from number of public service trade unions who said any suggestion he should step down would create “a serious problem” for them.

Speaking on behalf of the public service committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Bernard Harbour of the Impact trade union said Mr Duffy was a man of great knowledge and integrity.

Great knowledge and integrity

He said many unions had appeared before Mr Duffy during his years as chairman of the Labour Court and had always found him to be completely impartial.

Mr Harbour said any attempt or suggestion that Mr Duffy should stand down from his position as chairman of the Public Service Pay Commission would cause serious problems for public service trade unions.

He said if garda organisations wanted to postpone engagement with the pay commission in the wake of Mr Duffy’s comments, this should not hold up the entire process.

The Public Service Pay Commission is due to make recommendations to Government next year in relation to pay for the 300,000 staff across the public service.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil on Thursday that, in its initial report, the Commission would be asked to consider the evolution of pay trends in the public and private sectors based on published data and a comparison of pay rates for identifiable groups within the public service with prevailing non-public sector market rates and international rates, having due regard to the national finances.

AGSI president Antoinette Cunningham said on Friday morning there was a question over Mr Duffy’s impartiality and objectivity.

Gardaí had threatened to withdraw their labour for 24 hours on each of the four Fridays in November before calling off the action following a recommendation issued by the Labour Court.

Members of the two Garda organisations are currently voting on Labour Court proposals that averted the potential garda strike. The proposals are centred on a new €50 million package of measures.

Ms Cunnigham described Mr Duffy’s comments as unfair in the context of the ongoing ballot on the recommendations.

She said his comments would interfere with the process. "The question now is, do his remarks make him incompatible for the position of chair of the PSPC," Ms Cunningham told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. "The question for the Agsi is, is he the right man to work with the gardai?"

Ms Cunningham said until the executive of her organisation decided whether it had confidence in Mr Duffy it would not engage with the Public Service Pay Commission.