Taoiseach: No agreement, no job protection

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has raised the prospect of redundancies in the public service saying workers cannot have the full protection of employment without the 'Croke Park II' deal.

The Coalition is adamant that €300m in savings have to be found this year and a Dáil vote today will see estimates, including the savings, pushed through.

The Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission has been asked to engage with unions to see if there is a basis for fresh talks.

Mr Kenny made it clear that protection of employment in the public service can only come with a deal.

He said: "In the negotiations between the LRC and the unions on Croke Park two, employment was protected by those negotiations and protected under Croke Park two.

"It is absolutely true to say that if you have no agreement, you don’t have that inherent protection, that's fact."