Hayes: Scrapping Croke Park deal would be 'nonsensical'
Minister of State at the Department of Finance Brian Hayes has today branded the notion of scrapping the Croke Park Agreement as "nonsensical".
Brian Hayes' remarks come after seven Fine Gael TDs told the Sunday Independent that they are demanding the Taoiseach call time on the deal altogether.
The group of backbenchers say the promise not to cut public sector pay until 2014, which is part of the deal, is totally "unsustainable".
However, Minister Hayes says the Government is committed to the Croke Park pact on public sector pay and reform, as long as it is working.
A report is being currently complied which will show whether or not the deal is delivering significant cost savings for the State. It is due to be published within the coming months.
Mr Hayes said that even if the Croke Park Agreement was to be scrapped, it would not solve the country's economic woes.
"Headlines about 'End Croke Park deal' and all the rest of it, as if the whole problems of the country are going to be solved by that one particular decision is just nonsensical," he said.
"We've a deal in place.
"I made the point two weeks ago, and Joan Burton made the same point, that we've got to deliver in 22, sector by sector, on the things that need to happen, such as rostering, such as redeployment, making sure we get the kind of fundamental change in back-office staff so that we can keep the frontline in place - that's the deal."
