merrion street

Asked by Colman O’Sullivan of RTÉ about negotiations with teacher unions on a new pay deal:

Where we are in relation to the recovery of economic sovereignty, it involves a certain number of steps in terms of reducing our overall budget deficit and I think we have identified at Cabinet, the Government has been honest that there is a need for savings in relation to the public sector pay bill. These have been identified and discussions are ongoing to see how we can combine what is a very difficult ask, we’re under no illusions about that, and at the same time maintain services and maintain the incredible cooperation we’re getting from the public sector right across the country.

We’re unique. I’ve just come back from two days in Brussels, where we had an education council meeting yesterday. And the number of people, both those who are experiencing difficulties such as Cyprus, and those countries who have budgetary problems but who are not in a programme; the extraordinary respect for the way in which we collectively as a people are dealing with our problems. And I believe that spirit is going to animate and inform any discussions that take place with the teachers or anyone else.

Any contact/ feedback from unions?

They’re currently in the process balloting their members in relation to getting a mandate for strike action, or industrial action, whatever form they so choose. And we respect that, we respect the democratic proves. And we wait until the outcome of that is completed, so as not to interfere in their internal democratic process. But a dialogue we have to have and a solution we have to find, and we have to find it in a way which citizens of this Republic all of us move forward and maintain the services we need.