Renegotiation of public sector pay deals ruled out

The head of the Department of Public Expenditure has ruled out renegotiating pay terms agreed with public service workers under the Lansdowne Road Agreement amid a clamour for pay rises.

Department secretary general, Robert Watt, also defended rates paid to frontline workers such as nurses and gardaí and stood over increases agreed under the agreement for the coming years.

His comments come as the next government faces a serious of demands for pay hikes and amid suggestions that the deal agreed with unions should be reviewed.