Howlin: Government will cut pay bill 'one way or another'
Savings will be made on the public-sector wage bill "one way or another" Minister Brendan Howlin warned this morning.
Speaking on his way into that Cabinet meeting this morning, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform said that significant progress has been made in talks on the Croke Park 2 deal, but some issues are yet to be resolved.
Minister Howlin will brief the Cabinet this morning on the latest developments in negotiations with public sector unions on €300m worth of savings this year.
The head of the Labour Relations Commission Kieran Mulvey, who is leading the talks, has been given more time to try and reach agreement.
"Obviously, we have to make contngency plans and I've had discussions over the last number of days, in fact, since the end of the ballot, with the Attorney General's office," he said.
"Because one way or another, we have to make these savings.
"We want to do it in a away that we have agreement, that we can continue the absolute essential reforms that are necessary in the public service."
