Enda Kenny wants cost of public pensions to be examined

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has called for the cost of public pensions to be examined as part of public pay talks next year, risking fresh friction between unions and the Government over the restoration of pre-crash pay levels.

It follows Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe’s recent remarks that the “widened” gap between public and private pension pots is of concern amid suggestions that pension increases for retired public-sector workers could be scrapped.

As nurses and 30,000 Siptu health workers prepare to ballot for industrial action, and following fraught negotiations with teachers and gardaí, Mr Kenny admitted the restoration of public pay remains a key concern for the Government.