Croke Park critics using deal as ‘shield for their own inactivity’

Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure minister, has hit out at negative comments about the Croke Park deal and declared that “others” are using the agreement as a “shield for their own inactivity”.

The Labour minister’s critical remarks come after his embattled colleague James Reilly, the health minister, recently said the public pay deal with trade unions should be renegotiated.

Mr Reilly in recent days has been forced to roll back on €10m in planned cuts to the disability sector after a public outcry. He also said public pay was the “elephant in the room” and that Croke Park needed to be addressed.