Varadkar: ‘Limited pot’ to restore pay
Ahead of an address to the Impact trade union’s health conference, Mr Varadkar said he thought pay restoration for public servants was “well deserved”.
However, he said the money available was “limited” adding: “It is the same pot of money that has to go into providing better services and also tax cuts that benefit everyone in the economy”.
He said his preference was that he would like to have more staff in the health service not fewer staff earning more. In his speech to Impact delegates he said he would find it very hard to support a pay deal “that comes at the expense of public services”.
“There should never be a conflict between what is good for staff and what is good for patients and taxpayers but if such a conflict arises it is my duty to be on the side of taxpayers and patients and that is a judgment call I am ready to make,” he said. Mr Varadkar was asked if he wanted increased productivity from public servants in exchange for pay restoration.
He said: “What we would like to do is retain the productivity measures that were provided in Croke Park and Haddington Road as part of pay restoration.
“What we would particularly like to see is co-operation with the reform programme, the development of the hospital groups for example and we would particularly like to see our health services working a bit more efficiently.”
Niall Shanahan of Impact said he drew from the minister’s speech and comments to the media that Mr Varadkar would prefer to achieve both pay restoration and an increase in numbers working in the health system.
Mr Shanahan said the word productivity had been “much abused” over the last number of weeks.
“Productivity is an ongoing process,” he said. “The productivity on the part of the public service is recognised and is continuing. What our members won’t countenance is any further changes to terms and conditions,” he said.
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