Howlin confirms Croke Park deal file given to unions for consideration

The minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, has confirmed that a document proposing €1bn worth of cuts to the public sector has been handed over to unions.

Howlin confirms Croke Park deal file given to unions for consideration

The minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, has confirmed that a document proposing €1bn worth of cuts to the public sector has been handed over to unions.

The unions will now consider the document, before deciding whether or not they agree with it.

Mr Howlin is briefing the Taoiseach, the Finance Minister and the Tánaiste today, and will brief the full Cabinet on the contents of the document tomorrow.

Mr Howlin said proposals which "meet the targets we set out'' have been sent to the unions.

“I understand how difficult this whole process has been for trade unions,” he said.

“We are asking people to make another contribution to fixing our broken economy.”

Mr Howlin said the deal on the table was complex but when read people would see it was constructed in a way to impact on everybody in a fair way.

“No individual sector of the public service is in any way targeted,” he said.

“Everybody is asked to make a fair contribution and I’ve made it clear this will be the last contribution people will be asked to make.”

Despite four major trade unions walking out of negotiations at the 11th hour, agreement was reached after marathon all night talks in Dublin.

“It’s not quite as severe as some of the suggestions have been,” a union spokesman said.

“We have a proposal but we’ll have to now put it to the respective unions - it’s quite a complicated document.”

Union sources revealed some of the arrangements are:

:: Salary increments will be frozen for those earning over €65,000.

:: Overtime for Sunday shifts will be cut from double time to time and three quarters.

:: There will be graduated pay cuts between 5-10% for people earning over €65,000.

:: A longer working week of either 37 or 39 hours.

:: The abolition of Twilight Pay.

Unions representing doctors, nurses and lower paid civil servants last night dismissed the Government's demands on pay and reform as draconian and unrealistic.

Brendan Howlin, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, joined the talks at around 7am this morning in a bid to get the deal over the line.

Unions which it is understood will not be bound by the deal include the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) and Unite.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) walked out when briefing sessions to start the negotiations were held several weeks ago.

The GRA later picketed negotiations at Lansdowne House, describing its action as a placard protest.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) was not involved in the process.

It is understood the document has been written by the Labour Relations Commission and all unions will be bound by its rules on industrial relations.

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