O'Rourke: Unpaid leave proposal parked

Proposals to secure some of the €1.3bn savings necessary from the public pay bill by means of unpaid leave were thrust into further doubt this afternoon following a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.

Talks between union leaders and Government are ongoing, with unions insisting that a direct wage cut will not be tolerated and that unpaid leave is the only proposal acceptable to them.