Quinn warns frontline services will be hit if agreement rejected

The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has warned that frontline services will be hit if the Croke Park 2 proposals are rejected by unions.

Mr Quinn has been met with stony silence from delegates at the Teachers Union of Ireland conference in Galway.

Earlier, members voted in favour of a motion calling for a ballot on industrial action, up to and including a strike, if Croke Park 2 is implemented.

#TUI Min Quinn gets silent treatment in Galway. He sounds nervous and if faced by posters pic.twitter.com/JO1HRLPdjY

— Fergal Keane (@fergalrte) April 3, 2013

Speaking after his address, Minister Quinn said there is only one place left to go if Croke Park 2 is rejected by all unions later this month, and that is frontline services.

He said: "We'll see where we are on the 17th of April, but the economic gap and the financial gap in Brendan Howlin's figures will not disappear because of a vote that rejects the proposals that have come out.

"We have to deal with that fiscal gap."