Saturday, December 05, 2009
TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has denied the collapse of talks with the public sector represented a PR disaster for the Government and said he would make no apology for engaging in negotiations.
Speaking at a press conference at Government Buildings, Mr Cowen said it had been "right and responsible" for the state as an employer of 315,000 people to enter discussions and "go the extra mile" to see if agreement could be reached.
"I make no apology whatever to anyone for trying to find an agreed way forward. This country has serious problems to confront, and we have to try and work together by agreement where we can. And the fact that we don’t succeed on every occasion is not in any way to invalidate both the legitimacy and the necessity of such a process," he said.
Flanked by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan and Government chief whip Pat Carey, Mr Cowen rejected suggestions the episode represented a PR disaster for his administration.
"With respect, others will have to – organisations will have to look to see where the PR disaster lies. And it wasn’t with the people who were in this building who were trying to find solutions," he said.
"This isn’t about PR for anybody. This is a very serious economic situation this country faces. Any responsible Government would take the approach that we took."
The Government had no other option but to proceed with a public service pay cut in next Wednesday’s Budget, he said.
The unpaid leave proposal put forward by the unions would form no part of that pay cut, he added – meaning workers’ pay will be permanently, rather than temporarily, reduced.
"What we now have to proceed with is reducing by way of a pay cut in proportionate fashion the public service pay and pensions bill," Mr Cowen said.
He suggested strikes in response to the pay cut would achieve nothing.
He admitted that other valuable proposals for public sector reform put forward during the negotiations were now off the table for the time being.
"We of course would like to see that the positive vision that has emerged on how we would proceed with an integrated public service in the future should be proceeded with in due course, but obviously, in the immediate aftermath of non-agreement, clearly that is an issue for the future.
"We hope that it is possible that that can be looked at again at another time."
© Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited, City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 73385.
