Martin calls on Gilmore to back Croke Park pay deal

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has called on Labour leader Eamonn Gilmore to "get off the fence" and come out in favour of the Croke Park pay deal.

Yesterday the Health Minister Mary Harney said there is no alternative to the Croke Park deal, and urged all unions to accept the offer on the table.

Speaking in Co Roscommon today Minister Martin criticised Deputy Gilmore's past record in solid policy decisions.

Minister Martin accused the Labour leader of an "absence of leadership".

"I think he (Deputy Gilmore) has sat on the fence on a lot of issues," he said. "The most fundamental one being the bank guarantee, where he opposed it - in my view, for political reasons."

Minister Martin said Deputy Gilmore was more interested in "sloganeering and electioneering" than solid policy responses.

SIPTU President Jack O'Connor latert appealled to politicians in all parties to ''refrain from commenting on the proposed Croke Park agreement''.

He was responding to the comments made earlier today by Minister Martin as well as Noel Dempsey.

Mr O'Connor said attempts to make a political football out of the issue do it a great disservice.