Public Sector Pay

4. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to give an update on the progress of a new public sector pay agreement. [74673/26]

I ask the Minister if he can give an update on the public pay deal. I understand he is not going to be able to give us the intricacies of what is happening but perhaps a broader overview would be helpful. Obviously, this question was submitted with a deadline of last Friday when we were unsure as to what would happen with the public sector pay deal.

I thank Deputy Farrell for the question. The Government remains fully committed to collective bargaining as the established mechanism for addressing pay and related matters in the public service. This approach has provided an effective basis for engagement over many years and has supported agreements that balance the interests of public servants, service users and the wider public. The contribution made by public servants across all sectors is recognised and valued. Their work plays an essential role in supporting communities, delivering key services and underpinning social and economic well-being throughout the country. A group was appointed by the Government on Friday to undertake a focused and intensive exercise with the parties aimed at constructing a basis for formal negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. Following positive engagement between representatives of the Government and the public services committee of ICTU over the weekend, a basis for negotiations on a new public service pay agreement has been established. Following recent engagement between Government representatives, arrangements have been put in place to commence discussions on a successor pay agreement. Those discussions began on Monday under the auspices of the WRC. I thank Kevin Foley, who chaired the group, as well as Owen Reidy and Oonagh Buckley for their work. This group enabled the parties to progress into formal talks. The Government's objective is to secure a new public service pay agreement that provides stability and predictability for public servants while supporting the continued delivery of high-quality public services. The commencement of formal talks represents a significant development in the process and provides a framework within which different issues can be examined. It is hoped that engagement in this setting will facilitate meaningful discussions and assist efforts to identify a mutually acceptable way forward and a new agreement. As discussions are taking place through a confidential industrial relations process, as the Deputy said, it is not appropriate to comment further on the matters under consideration while negotiations are ongoing.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I would not expect or want him to break that confidentiality. The fact that we are having talks now is to be welcomed and is extremely important. It has been on my mind for some time to ask the Minister what shifted for him. Why did he decide now to take the action to meet with these unions? On a broader point, one of the narratives that was out there was always in relation to the unions and the Government, but let us not forget the workers who are central to this. There are over 300,000 workers who were forced onto strike action, and who lost a day's pay last week to go on strike, because of the refusal of the Minister and the Government to sit down with their representatives in the union. What changed for the Minister in order to be willing to sit down and talk about the key issue, which is pay?

What the Deputy has said is not correct. It is well documented publicly that there were two engagements between officials in my own Department and trade unions in June, in advance of the previous agreement concluding, at which we sought to construct a new agreement. Following those discussions, trade unions made a decision to ballot for industrial action. As they were balloting for industrial action, a process that continued for a period of weeks, we sought to have engagement again. We were publicly seeking that. As is their right, they continued on the course which resulted in the particular action taken last week. I am glad we have a process and a framework, following the process we stood up, that has allowed for the different issues to be discussed and a framework to be discussed this week. I share with the Deputy the view that we need to ensure public servants are remunerated fairly and equitably and have predictable pay for next year. They make a huge contribution. We are a Government that has invested in public servants and in public servants' pay. The public pay bill has increased significantly because of the expansion of public services that we have made in health, education and disability services.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I am glad he changed his mind. I was looking at this from the sidelines, but it did not seem to me that there was a shift in his views. At the eleventh hour, two hours before the strike was to begin, it seemed that he committed to pay being the first item in the negotiations. The following day, we had Government spokespeople out on the airwaves who were contradicting that. However, I am glad he now recognises that pay should be the first item in these negotiations. I want to raise one thing with the Minister. I have been raising it for some time but I hope he may be able to intervene. He spoke about our healthcare workers and all of that. We are waiting in Galway University Hospital for newly graduated nurses and midwives to get contracts. We know how important they are. I am not expecting the Minister to have an answer now, or even to mention anything in relation to that, but maybe behind the scenes he could take a look at what is going on there. As he knows, Galway University Hospital urgently needs these staff.

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate her remarks on that. I have seen some of the concern reflected by the INMO and by the student nurses who are graduating. My understanding is that many student nurses have actually received contracts and have been employed. I do not have the latest data on how many are still awaiting a contract. It is important to say that when we set up regional structures, they plan for the recruitment of particular nurses or doctors in the following recruitment cycle. They need to ensure that is reflected in their pay and numbers and in their wider budgetary allocation. The discipline that is required within the regional structures is that they plan for a pipeline of students that they know are due to graduate. Obviously, we have a structure now with the Department of Health with the regions with respect to managing recruitment overall. I will reflect on what the Deputy has said. I have been monitoring this because I have had contact from others as well. I know the Minister for Health is working on this in respect of different graduates.