IMPACT delegates meet in Kilkenny

Three divisions of Ireland's largest public sector trade union are gathering for their delegate conferences.

Civil servants, local authority staff and professionals in semi-state and private sectors represented by IMPACT have converged on Kilkenny City.

A joint session of all three will be addressed tomorrow by Labour Relations Commission Chief Executive Kieran Mulvey.

Union spokesman Bernard Harbour said all three groups will discuss fears of further cutbacks in staff and services.

"The Government has made already an announcement that 5,000 public sector jobs must go over the next couple of years. Delegates in the local authority sector and civil service are saying to us that that will mean cuts in services," he said.