Public sector pay body findings not binding, says Paschal Donohoe

The Government will not necessarily be bound by the findings of the proposed new commission on public service pay, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe has said.

He told an Oireachtas Committee on Wednesday that the new commission would make recommendations.

He said it was vital there was no departure from the ability of the Government to negotiate directly with its employees.

He said he did not want to see negotiations on the future of pay handled by an entity that was not the Government.

Mr Donohoe said he envisaged opening consultations on the proposed pay commission within weeks with trade unions that had signed up to the existing Lansdowne Road agreement.

The Minister said he anticipated “getting the ball rolling” on the commission this year.

Mr Donohoe said about €2.2 billion in savings on public service pay and pensions had been generated annually under measures taken under various pieces of financial emergency legislation over recent years.

He said the sudden elimination of financial emergency legislation “was not feasible”.

Mr Donohoe said there could be no acceleration of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement on public service pay or in relation to changes to financial emergency legislation.